<K6 

n:  A-\ 


C  ; '  6- 

"S  /  /  C-V 


"LOG    CABIN    SERIES."— NO.    2, 


CAMP-FIRE   AND 


WIGWAM. 


BY 


EDWARD    S.    ELLIS, 

AUTHOR    OF    UNED    IN    THE     BLOCK-HOUSE,"     "NED     IN     THE     WOODS," 

"NED    ON   THE    RIVER,"    "THE   LOST   TRAIL,"    ETC. 


PHILADELPHIA : 
PORTER    &    COATES. 


COPYRIGHT,    1885, 

BY 
PORTER    &    COATES. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I. — AT  HOME 5 

II. — A  DOUBTFUL  ENTERPRISE 20 

III. — WHAT  MIGHT  HAVE  BEEN  EXPECTED 29 

IV. — CAPTORS  AND  CAPTIVES 39 

V. — JOURNEYING   SOUTHWARD 51 

VI. —AN    INVOLUNTARY  BATH 63 

VII. — TWO   VISITORS 76 

VIII. — A    SURPRISE 87 

IX. — BY  THE  CAMP-FIRE 99 

X.— WAITING  AND    HOPING 109 

XI. — THROUGH   THE  FOREST 120 

XII. — THE   SIGNAL  FIRES 132 

XIII. — THE   INDIAN  VILLAGE 143 

XIV. — ON   THE  MOUNTAIN  CREST 155 

XV. — THE   RETURN   AND  DEPARTURE 167 

XVI. — A   PERPLEXING  QUESTION 179 

XVII. — TWO   ACQUAINTANCES  AND  FRIENDS 191 

XVIII. — THE   TRAPPERS 203 

XIX. — DEERFOOT'S  WOODCRAFT 214 

XX. — SAUK  AUD  8HAWANOE 226 

XXI.— CHRISTIAN   AND  PAGAN 238 

XXII. — AN  ABORIGINAL   SERMON > 249 

W35832 


iy  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEK  PAGE 

XXIII.— IN  THE  LODGE  OF  OGALLAH 260 

XXIV.— A  ROW 272 

XXV. — THE  WAR  FEAST 283 

XXVI.— AN  ALARMING  DISCOVERY 295 

XXVII.—"  GAH-HAW-GE" 307 

XXVIII. — A   PATIENT   OF  THE  MEDICINE  MAN 319 

XXIX.— CONVALESCENCE 331 

XXX. — OUT  IN  THE  WORLD 343 

XXXI. — JOURNEYING  EASTWARD 355 

XXXII.— A  MISCALCULATION 367 

XXXIII.— CONCLUSION .378 


CAMP-FIRE  AND  WIGWAM. 


CHAPTER  i.  j  :\:  i  \:  .      0  f* 


AT    HOME. 


the  evening  of  a  dismal,  rainy  day  in  spring, 
a  mother  and  her  son  were  sitting  in  their 
log-cabin  home  in  the  southern  portion  of  the 
present  State  of  Missouri.  The  settlement  bore 
the  name  of  Martinsville,  in  honor  of  the  leader  of 
the  little  party  of  pioneers  who  had  left  Kentucky 
some  months  before,  and,  crossing  the  Mississippi, 
located  in  that  portion  of  the  vast  territory  known 
at  that  time  as  Louisiana. 

There  were  precisely  twenty  cabins,  all  of  which 
had  been  constructed  with  a  view  to  rugged 
strength,  durability,  and  comfort.  Lusty  arms  had 
felled  the  trees,  that  were  cut  the  proper  length 
and  dovetailed  in  the  usual  manner  at  the  corners, 
the  crevices  being  filled  with  a  species  of  plaster, 
made  almost  entirely  from  yellow  clay.  The  inte- 


6  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

riors  were  generally  divided  into  two  apartments, 
with  a  broad  fire-place  and  the  rude  furniture  of 
the  border.  Colonel  Martin  himself,  with  the 
assistance  of  his  two  full-grown  sons,  erected  a 
more  pretentious  dwelling  with  two  stories  and  a 
loft,  but  the  other  houses,  as  has  already  been 
staged,  were  of  such  a  simple  and  familiar  charac- 
ter -tha-t  "the  American  reader  needs  no  further 
description. 

Mrs.  Carle  ton  was  a  widow,  whose  husband  had 
been  slain  by  Indians  in  Kentucky  some  time 
previous,  and  who,  in  the  daily  requirement  of  her 
duties,  and  in  her  great  love  for  her  only  child, 
Jack,  found  some  relief  from  the  dreadful  sorrow 
that  overshadowed  her  life.  Kind  neighbors  had 
lent  willing  hands,  and  her  home  was  as  well 
made  as  any  in  the  settlement.  Jack  and  his 
companion,  Otto  Kelstaub,  had  arrived  only  a 
couple  of  days  before,  and  each  had  wrought  so 
hard  in  his  respective  household  that  they  had 
scarcely  found  time  to  speak  to  or  see  each  other. 

The  evening  meal  had  been  eaten,  the  things 
cleared  away,  and  wood  heaped  upon  the  fire  which 
filled  the  little  room  with  cheerful  illumination. 
The  mother  was  seated  at  one  side,  the  silent 


AT    HOME.  7 

spinning-wheel  just  beyond,  while  her  deft  fingers 
were  busy  with  her  knitting.  Jack  was  half  re- 
clining on  a  rude  bench  opposite,  recounting,  in 
his  boyish  fashion,  the  adventures  of  himself  and 
Otto  on  their  memorable  journey,  which  has  been 
fully  told  in  the  "  Lost  Trail." 

The  good  mother  possessed  an  education  beyond 
the  ordinary,  and,  knowing  its  great  value,  insisted 
upon  her  son  improving  his  spare  moments  in 
study.  Jack  was  well  informed  for  his  years,  for 
no  one  could  have  been  blessed  with  a  better 
teacher,  counselor,  and  friend,  than  he  was.  Even 
now,  when  we  reintroduce  him  to  the  reader,  he  held 
an  old-fashioned  spelling-book  in  his  hand.  He 
had  tried  to  give  his  attention  to  his  lesson,  but, 
boy-like,  his  mind  persisted  in  wandering,  and  his 
mother,  looking  fondly  across  the  fire,  was  so 
pleased  to  hear  him  chat  and  to  ask  and  answer 
questions,  that  she  could  not  find  it  in  her  heart 
to  chide  him. 

"You  have  never  seen  Deerfoot,  have  you, 
mother  ?  "  he  asked,  abruptly  breaking  in  on  his 
own  narrative. 

"  Yes,  I  have  seen  him ;  he  saved  the  life  of 
your  father." 


8  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

"  What !  "  exclaimed  Jack,  straightening  up 
and  staring  at  his  parent  in  open-mouthed  amaze- 
ment :  "  I  never  heard  of  that  before." 

"  Didn't  Deerfoot  tell  you  ?  " 

"  He  never  hinted  anything  of  the  kind.  He 
once  asked  me  about  father's  death  and  about 
you,  but  I  thought  it  was  only  a  natural  interest 
he  felt  on  my  account.  But  tell  me  how  it  was, 
mother." 

"Some  months  before  your  father's  death,  he 
was  absent  a  couple  of  days  on  a  hunt  to  the  south 
of  our  home.  He  kindled  a  camp-fire  in  a  deep 
valley,  where  the  undergrowth  was  so  dense  that 
he  felt  sure  of  being  safe  against  discovery.  The 
night  was  very  cold,  and  snow  was  flying  in  the 
air.  Besides  that,  he  had  eaten  nothing  all  day, 
and  was  anxious  to  broil  a  wild  turkey  he  had 
shot  just  as  it  began  to  grow  dark.  He  started 
the  fire,  ate  his  supper,  and  was  in  the  act  of  lying 
down  for  the  night,  when  a  young  Indian  walked 
out  from  the  woods,  saying  in  the  best  of  English 
that  he  was  his  friend.  Your  father  told  me  that 
he  was  the  most  graceful  and  handsome  youth  he 
had  ever  looked  upon " 


AT   HOME.  9 

"  That  was  Deerfoot ! "  exclaimed  the  delighted 
Jack. 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt  of  it,  for  he  told  your 
father  that  such  was  his  English  name.  I  forget 
what  his  own  people  called  him.  Well,  he  said 
to  your  father,  in  the  most  quiet  manner,  that  a 
party  of  Shawanoes  were  very  near  him.  They 
had  heard  the  report  of  his  rifle,  and,  suspecting 
what  it  meant,  were  carefully  arranging  to  cap- 
ture him  for  the  purpose  of  torture.  Deerfoot 
had  seen  them,  and,  having  also  heard  the  gun, 
learned  what  was  going  on.  If  your  father  had 
stayed  where  he  was  five  minutes  longer,  nothing 
could  have  saved  him.  I  need  not  tell  you  that 
he  did  not  stay.  Under  the  guidance  of  Deerfoot 
he  managed  to  extricate  himself  from  his  peril, 
and,  by  traveling  the  entire  night,  was  beyond  all 
danger  when  the  sun  rose  again.  Deerfoot  did  not 
leave  him  until  certain  he  had  no  cause  for  fear. 
Then,  when  your  father  turned  to  thank  him,  he 
was  gone.  He  had  departed  as  silently  as  a 
shadow." 

"That  was  just  like  Deerfoot  !  "  exclaimed 
Jack,  with  kindling  eye  ;  "  it  seems  to  me  he  is 
like  Washington.  Though  he  has  been  in  any 


10  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

number  of  dangers,  I  don't  believe  he  has  so  much 
as  a  scar  on  his  little  finger.  He  has  been  fired 
upon  I  don't  know  how  often,  but,  like  Washing- 
ton, he  carries  a  charmed  life." 

The  serious  mother  shook  her  head,  and,  look- 
ing over  her  knitting  at  her  boy,  made  answer : 

"  Such  a  thing  is  unknown  in  this  world  ;  more 
than  likely  he  will  fall  by  the  knife  or  bullet  of  an 
enemy/' 

"  I  suppose  he  is  liable  to  be  shot,  like  any  one 
else  ;  but  the  Indian  that  does  it  has  got  to  be 
mighty  smart  to  get  ahead  of  him.  Plenty  of 
them  have  tried  it  with  knife  and  tomahawk,  but 
they  never  lived  to  try  it  on  any  one  else.  But 
that  ain't  the  most  wonderful  part  of  it,"  added 
Jack,  shaking  his  head  and  gesticulating  in  his 
excitement  with  both  arms  ;  "Deerfoot  knows  a 
good  deal  more  about  books  than  I  do." 

"  That  does  not  imply  that  he  possesses  any  re- 
markable education,"  said  the  mother,  with  a 
quiet  smile. 

The  boy  flushed,  and  sinking  back  said  : 

"  I  know  I  ain't  the  best-educated  fellow  in  the 
settlement,  but  who  ever  heard  of  a  youag  Indian 
knowing  how  to  read  and  write  ?  Why,  that  fel- 


AT   HOME.  11 

low  can  write  the  prettiest  hand  you  ever  saw. 
He  carries  a  little  Bible  with  him  :  the  print  is  so 
fine  I  can  hardly  read  it,  but  he  will  stretch  out  in 
the  light  of  a  poor  camp-fire,  and  read  it  for  an 
hour  at  a  time.  I  can't  understand  where  he 
picked  it  all  up,  but  he  told  me  about  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  which  is  away  beyond  our  country,  and  he 
spoke  of  the  land  where  the  Saviour  lived  when  he 
was  on  earth.  I  never  felt  so  ashamed  of  myself 
as  I  did  when  he  sat  down  and  told  me  such 
things.  He  can  repeat  verse  after  verse  from  the 
Bible ;  he  pronounced  the  Lord's  Prayer  in  Shawa- 
noe,  and  then  told  me  and  Otto  that  if  we  would 
only  use  the  English  a  little  oftener  the  Great 
Spirit  would  hear  us.  What  do  you  think  of 
that  ?  " 

"  It  is  very  good  advice." 

"  Of  course  it  is,  but  the  idea  of  a  young  Indian 
being  that  sort  of  fellow  !  Well,  there's  no  use  of 
talking,"  added  Jack,  as  though  unable  to  do 
justice  to  the  theme,  "  he  beats  anything  I  ever 
heard  of.  If  the  truth  should  be  written  as  to 
what  he  has  done,  and  put  in  a  book,  I  don't 
'spose  ona  person  in  a  hundred  would  believe  it. 
He  promised  to  come  and  see  us." 


12  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

"  I  hope  he  will,"  said  the  mother  ;  "I  shall  al- 
ways hold  him  in  the  highest  esteem  and  grati- 
tude for  his  kindness  to  your  father  and  to  you." 

"  I  tell  you  it  would  have  gone  rough  with  Otto 
and  me  if  it  hadn't  been  for  him.  I  wonder  how 
Otto  is  getting  along  ? "  said  Jack,  with  an  ex- 
pression of  misgiving  on  his  face. 

"  Why  do  you  ask  that  ?  "  inquired  his  mother. 

"  I  think  Deerfoot  was  worried  over  him." 

"  I  do  not  understand  you." 

"Why,  you  know  Otto  has  got  the  meanest 
father  in  the  whole  United  States  of  America 

"  Those  are  strong  words/'  interrupted  the 
parent  reprovingly. 

"  It  is  contrary  to  your  teaching  to  talk  that 
way,  but  you  know,  too,  that  it  is  the  solemn 
truth.  Deerfoot  stopped  at  Jacob  Kelstaub's 
cabin,  in  this  very  settlement,  some  weeks  ago, 
when  it  was  raining  harder  than  now,  and  asked 
for  something  to  eat,  and  to  stay  all  night.  What 
do  you  'spose  Belstaub  did  ?  He  abused  him  and 
turned  him  away." 

"What  a  shame  !  "  exclaimed  the  good  woman 
indignantly.  "  Why  did  Deerfoot  not  come  here 
or  to  one  of  the  other  cabins  ?  " 


AT   HOME.  13 

"  I  don't  know,  but  he  went  off  in  the  woods  by 
himself.  Otto  tried  to  befriend  him,  and  was 
whipped  for  it ;  but  Deerfoot  never  forgot  it,  and 
he  risked  his  life  to  help  Otto  and  me." 

"  It  was  very  unkind  in  Mr.  Relstaub,  but  you 
have  not  told  me  why  you  and  Deerfoot  were 
alarmed  for  Otto." 

"Otto  had  the  best  horse  that  his  father  owns. 
It  ran  away  from  us,  and,  though  we  tried  hard  to 
get  him  again,  we  couldn't,  and  Otto  and  I  came 
home  on  foot.  Knowing  his  father  as  well  as  we 
do,  Deerfoot  and  I  were  afraid  the  poor  fellow 
would  be  punished  because  he  lost  the  animal.  I 
haven't  had  a  chance  to  say  much  to  Otto, 
and  when  I  did,  I  didn't  want  to  ask  him 
about  it,  but  I  would  like  to  know  whether 
he  has  been  punished  for  what  he  couldn't 
help." 

"  I  can  answer  that  question,"  said  Mrs.  Carle- 
ton,  softly  ;  "  his  father  whipped  him  most  cruelly 
yesterday." 

"  The  old  scamp— 

"  Tut,  tut ! "  warned   the   parent,  raising  her . 
finger,  "it  was  cruel,  but  Otto  will  survive  it,  as 
he  has  many  other  times,  and  before  many  years 


14  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

he  will  become  so  large  that  his  father  will  not  be 
able  to  punish  him." 

"I  hope  he  will  undertake  it,  and  Otto  will 
knock  him " 

"  Stop  !  "  said  the  mother,  more  sternly,  "  you 
have  already  allowed  your  feelings  to  lead  you  too 
far." 

"  Pardon  me,  mother,"  said  Jack,  humbly,  "  I 
would  not  hurt  your  feelings  for  the  world  ;  but 
there  is  such  a  contrast  between  his  father  and 
you,  and  his  mother  is  just  as  bad — 

Jack  checked  himself  again,  for  his  quick  ear 
detected  something.  He  turned  quickly  toward 
the  door  of  the  cabin,  and  his  mother,  reading  the 
meaning  of  the  movement,  did  the  same,  holding 
her  fingers  motionless  while  both  listened. 

The  rain  beat  upon  the  roof,  dashed  against  the 
window-panes,  and  rattled  on  the  logs  of  the 
cabin,  with  a  melancholy  sound  that  made  the  in- 
terior seem  doubly  cheerful  by  contrast.  At  times 
the  wind  roared  among  the  trees,  and  some  of  the 
pattering  drops  found  their  way  down  the  chim- 
ney, and  hissed  among  the  flaming  brands,  mak- 
ing tiny  black  points  that  were  instantly  wiped 
out  by  the  ardor  of  the  fire  itself. 


AT   HOME.  15 

Suddenly  the  latch  -  string,  which  was  only 
drawn  in  when  the  inmates  were  ready  to  retire, 
was  pulled,  the  latch  raised,  the  door  opened,  and 
Otto  Relstaub,  his  garments  dripping  water,  en- 
tered the  room. 

"  Good-evening  ! "  he  called,  pausing  a  moment 
to  close  the  door  against  the  driving  storm. 

Both  greeted  the  visitor,  and  Jack,  laying  aside 
his  hook,  advanced  and  warmly  shook  the  hand  of 
his  friend,  bringing  him  forward  and  giving  him  a 
seat  on  the  bench,  which  was  drawn  still  nearer 
the  fire. 

Otto  was  attired  very  much  as  when  we  saw  him 
last,  but  he  did  not  carry  his  gun  with  him.  He 
took  off  his  peaked  hat,  shook  the  water  from  it, 
and  then  his  broad,  good-natured  face,  gleaming 
with  moisture  and  rugged  health,  was  raised  to 
meet  the  mild,  inquiring  gaze  of  the  lady,  who 
asked  him  how  he  was. 

"  Oh,  I  ish  well,"  he  answered,  speaking  English 
much  better  than  he  did  a  short  time  previous, 
"I  have  been  working  so  hard  dot  I  couldn't 
come  over  before." 

"  I'm  real  glad  to  see  you,"  said  Jack,  cordially, 
slapping  him  on  the  back  and  making  the  water 


16  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

fly;  "if  you  hadn't  called  to-night  I  would  have 
dropped  in  to-morrow  to  see  you.  We've  hardly 
had  a  chance  to  speak  to  each  other  since  we  got 
back." 

"No,  dot  ish  so,"  said  Otto,  with  a  sigh. 
"Father,  he  makes  me  work  harder  as  I  never  did, 
to  make  up  for  the  time  dot  I  wasted  in  play,  he 
says.  By  Jimmy  !  I  don't  think  dot  was  much 
play,  do  you,  Jack  ?  " 

"It  was  the  worst  play  I  ever  went  through  ; 
two  boys  never  worked  harder  for  their  lives  than 
did  we,  and  if  it  ^hadn't  been  for  Deerfoot,  we 
never  would  have  reached  Martinsville.  I  sup- 
pose your  father  gave  you  a  whipping  for  losing 
Toby  ?  " 

"  I  should  thinks  he  did  !  I  hadn't  been  home 
one  hours,  when  he  went  out  and  cut  a  stick,  and 
used  it  up  on  me,  and  he  doned  the  same  yester- 
day." 

Jack  was  about  to  break  forth  into  vigorous 
language,  when  his  mother  anticipated  him.  Her 
voice  was  slightly  tremulous,  for,  despite  her  en- 
forced calmness,  she  could  not  altogether  restrain 
her  feelings. 


AT   HOME.  17 

"  Surely  he  could  not  have  understood  the 
matter  ;  I  will  speak  to  your  mother." 

Otto  shrugged  his  shoulders,  with  a  laugh  in 
which  there  was  more  sadness  than  mirth. 

"  Moder  is  worse  than  him  ;  she  tole  him  he 
didn't  whips  me  half  enough,  and  so  he  tried  it 
again  yesterday.  I  heard  her  tells  him  to-night 
dot  I  needed  more,  so  I  slips  out  and  comes  over 
here  before  he  could  get  everythings  ready.  May 
I  stay  here  all  night  ?  " 

"  All  night  !  "  repeated  Jack,  "  you  may  stay  a 
week — a  month — a  year — yes,  forever" 

"I  don't  want  to  stay  dot  long,"  said  Otto, 
with  his  pleasant  laugh  ;  "  but  fader,  he  tells  me 
he  will  beat  me  every  day  till  I  brings  back  de 
horse." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Jack,  compressing  his  lips, 
"  you  won't  go  back  till  you  get  the  horse — if  it 
takes  five  years." 

"  Did  your  father  tell  you  to  stay  away  till  you 
recovered  the  animal  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Carleton. 

"  Dot  vos  just  vot  he  says." 

"  Then  it  is  proper  that  you  should  obey  him." 

Otto  nodded  his  head  to  signify  that  his  senti- 
ments were  those  of  his  friends.  He  glanced  slyly 


18  CAMP-FIRE   AND    WIGWAM. 

around  the  room,  but  did  not  explain  what  he 
was  looking  for,  and,  unfortunately,  neither 
mother  nor  son  suspected  the  meaning  of  the  look  ; 
but  Otto's  hard-hearted  parents  had  actually 
driven  him  from  their  home  without  allowing  him 
to  eat  a  mouthful  of  dinner  or  supper.  He  was 
suffering  with  hunger,  but  was  plucky  enough  to 
bear  it  without  complaining,  since  his  friends  had 
partaken  and  cleared  away  the  table  long  before. 

"  What  do  you  intend  to  do  ?  "  asked  Mrs. 
Carleton,  who  deeply  sympathized  with  the  poor 
lad. 

"  I  goes  home  in  de  mornings  and  gets  my  gun 
and  powder-horn  before  they  can  whips  me,  and 
then  I  goes  off  to  hunt  for  Toby/' 

"And  I'll  go  with  you  !  "  exclaimed  the  impul- 
sive Jack,  springing  to  his  feet ;  "  you'll  let  me, 
mother,  won't  you  ?  "  he  asked,  turning  beseech- 
ingly toward  her. 

Kecalling  the  perils  through  which  her  only 
child  had  passed  so  recently,  the  widow  could  not 
but  contemplate  with  dismay  the  prospect  of  hav- 
ing him  venture  into  the  wilderness  again  ;  but 
she  felt  deeply  for  poor  honest  Otto,  who  was  so 
willing  and  good-natured,  and  who  had  shown  such 


AT    HOME.  19 

a  desire  to  help  her  while  her  own   boy  was  in 
Kentucky. 

Furthermore,  she  knew  that  Louisiana  was  a 
much  less  dangerous  country  than  the  Dark  and 
Bloody  Ground.  Fevy  of  the  Shawanoes,  Hurons, 
and  other  actively  hostile  tribes  ever  crossed  to 
the  western  side  of  the  Mississippi,  where  the 
Osages  gave  little  trouble  to  the  settlers  scattered 
through  that  immense  territory. 

Otto's  eyes  sparkled  when  Jack  Carle  ton  leaped 
to  his  feet  and  declared  he  would  go  with  him  on 
the  search  for  the  lost  horse  (subject,  of  course,  to 
the  consent  of  his  mother),  and  the  German  youth 
looked  pleadingly  toward  the  good  woman,  who,  it 
is  hardly  necessary  to  say,  yielded  consent,  giving 
with  it  a  large  amount  of  motherly  counsel,  to 
which  the  boys  listened  respectfully,  though  candor 
compels  me  to  say  that  the  thoughts  of  both  were 
far  away  among  the  green  woods,  beside  the 
sparkling  streams,  and  in  the  shadows  of  the 
chasms,  ravines,  and  gloomy  mountains,  whither, 
as  they  well  knew,  the  curious  search  would  lead 
them. 


CHAPTER  II. 

A    DOUBTFUL    ENTERPRISE. 

of  the  commendable  habits  of  the  early 
settlers  and  old-fashioned  folks  was  that  of 
retiring  and  rising  early.  They  were  ardent  be- 
lievers in  the  saying  of  Poor  Richard  that  "early 
to  bed,  and  early  to  rise,  makes  a  man  healthy, 
wealthy,  and  wise.'' 

It  was  not  yet  nine  o'clock,  when  Jack  and  Otto, 
.despite  the  deep  interest  they  felt  in  their  pro- 
jected campaign,  voluntarily  withdrew  to  the  other 
room,  where  they  fell  asleep  within  five  minutes 
after  their  heads  touched  the  pillow.  The  mother 
remained  by  the  fire  some  time  after  the  boys 
withdrew.  Her  small  white  fingers  flitted  hither 
back  and  forth,  while  her  mild  brown  eyes  seemed 
to  look  beyond  the  flashing  needles,  and  into  the 
glowing  coals  on  the  hearth.  Her  thoughts  were 
sad  and  sorrowful,  as  they  always  were  when 
she  sat  thus  alone.  They  wandered  back  to 


A   DOUBTFUL   ENTERPRISE.  21 

that  awful  time  when  her  loved  husband  was 
stricken  down  in  defence  of  her  and  their  little 
boy. 

But  to-night  she  was  thinking  more  of  that  boy 
than  of  the  father.  She  saw  how  much  like  the 
latter  he  was  growing,  and  she  trembled  when  she 
recalled  that  he  was  soon  to  start  on  another  ex- 
cursion into  the  wilderness,  to  be  gone  for  days, 
and  likely  for  weeks,  and  with  no  certainty  of  ever 
returning  again. 

As  the  night  advanced,  the  fury  of  the  storm 
diminished.  At  "low  twelve"  the  fall  of  rain 
ceased  altogether.  The  wind  blew  strongly,  some- 
times with  a  power  which  caused  the  strongest 
trees  to  bow  their  heads  to  the  blast.  As  the 
morning  approached,  it  died  out  altogether,  and 
the  sun  rose  on  one  of  the  fairest  days  that  ever 
was  seen. 

Early  as  was  the  orb,  the  inmates  of  the  cabin 
were  waiting  to  greet  it  when  it  appeared  above 
the  horizon.  The  boys  were  in  high  spirits  over 
the  beautiful  morning,  and  both  felt  that  it  prom- 
ised well  for  the  venture  before  them. 

"  I  tell  you  we're  going  to  win!"  said  Jack,  com- 
pressing his  lips  and  shaking  his  head.  "  I  feel  it 


22  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

in  my  bones,  as  your  father  says,  just  before  a 
storm  comes." 

"  Dot's  vot  I  dinks/7  assented  Otto,  whose  only 
discomfort  was  his  exceeding  hunger  :  "  Vot  you 
dinks,  Mrs.  Carleton  ?  " 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  be  disappointed ;  that  is 
the  most  I  can  say.  Jack's  feeling  that  you  are 
going  to  succeed  is  simply  his  pleasure  over  the 
prospect  of  a  ramble  in  the  woods.  We  will  eat 
breakfast,  after  which  you  can  go  home  and  make 
your  preparations  for  the  journey/' 

When  they  were  seated  at  the  table  and  Otto's 
hunger  was  nearly  satisfied,  he  told  his  friends 
with  a  grin,  that  it  was  the  first  food  he  had  tasted 
in  twenty-four  hours.  They  were  shocked,  and 
both  took  him  to  task  for  his  failure  to  make 
known  the  truth  the  evening  before.  He  made 
the  philosophic  reply  that  if  he  had  done  so  he 
would  have  missed  the  boundless  enjoyment  of 
such  a  meal  as  that  of  which  he  was  then  par- 
taking. 

Mrs.  Carleton  on  rising  in  the  morning  felt  that 
Otto  ought  not  to  be  allowed  to  go  on  the  ex- 
pedition until  after  a  further  talk  with  his  parents, 
who,  despite  what  they  had  said,  might  be  un- 


A   DOUBTFUL    ENTERPRISE.  23 

willing  for  him  to  engage  in  such  an  undertaking  ; 
but  when  she  learned  how  the  poor  fellow  had 
been  made  to  suffer  with  hunger  her  feelings 
changed.  It  was  hard  to  repress  her  indignation, 
and  she  made  up  her  mind  to  talk  to  the  cruel 
folks  as  they  had  never  been  talked  to  before  ;  but 
she  allowed  no  impatient  word  to  escape  her  in  the 
presence  of  their  son.  She  simply  advised  him  to 
depart  as  soon  as  he  could  upon  the  hunt  for  the 
horse,  and  not  to  return,  if  possible,  until  it  was 
recovered  or  another  obtained. 

u  Dot  is  vot  I  does,''  replied  Otto  with  a  shake 
of  his  head  and  a  determined  expression ;  "Otto 
doesn't  comes  back  till  he  brings  some  kind  of 
animal — if  it's  only  a  'coon  or  'possum." 

When  he  walked  over  to  his  own  home  (the 
building  for  which  was  precisely  the  same  as  that 
of  widow  Carleton),  his  father  and  mother  were 
eating  their  breakfast.  They  looked  surlily  at 
him  as  he  entered,  and  the  mother  showed  her  in- 
credible heartlessness  by  asking  her  only  child  in 
German : 

"  Where  is  Toby  that  you  lost  ?  " 

"  How  can  I  tell,  mother,  except  that  he  is  in 
the  woods  ?  I  tried  hard  to  find  him  again,  and 


24  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

had  it  not  been  for  Deerfoot  I  would  have  lost  my 
life  ;  but  he  is  gone/7 

"  Did  I  not  tell  you  to  go  and  not  come  back 
until  you  brought  him  with  you  ?  "  demanded  the 
father,  glaring  at  his  boy  as  though  he  was  ready 
to  throttle  him. 

"  So  you  did — so  you  did ;  but  I  couldn't  do 
much  last  night,  when  it  was  so  dark  and  stormy. 
I  have  come  over  to  get  my  gun  and  ammunition/' 

The  father  and  mother  looked  in  each  other's 
faces,  as  though  in  doubt  whether  they  would  let 
the  lad  have  the  property,  but  before  the  question 
could  be  debated  Otto  had  flung  the  powder-horn 
over  his  shoulders,  adjusted  the  bullet-pouch, 
shoved  the  hunting-knife  in  the  girdle  at  his  waist, 
and  walked  to  the  front  door,  where  he  halted  and 
looked  back/ 

"  Can't  I  have  breakfast  before  I  go  ?  " 

"  No  !  "  fairly  shouted  the  father ;  "  begone  ; 
you  shall  not  have  a  mouthful  under  my  roof  till 
you  bring  back  the  colt  you  have  lost." 

"  Nobody  wants  anything  you've  got  on  that 
table,"  the  lad  was  indignant  enough  to  reply  : 
"  I've  had  one  meal  that  was  worth  more  than  a 
dozen  like  that.  Good-by  ! " 


A   DOUBTFUL    ENTERPRISE.  25 

And  before  the  dumfounded  parents  could  rally 
from  the  unparalleled  impudence  of  the  youth  he 
was  gone. 

When  he  reached  the  home  of  Jack  Carleton, 
the  latter  was  waiting  and  impatient  to  start. 
Jack  had  already  kissed  his  mother  good-by 
several  times  and  he  repeated  the  fond  embrace. 
Tears  were  in  the  eyes  of  both,  and  the  mother 
stood  in  the  door  of  her  cabin  shading  her  eyes 
with  her  hand  until  the  two  passed  from  sight  in 
the  forest  beyond  the  clearing. 

Several  of  the  pieneers  who  were  busy  about  the 
settlement  greeted  the  boys  and  inquired  their 
errand.  Colonel  Martin  shook  hands  with  them, 
and  asked  all  the  particulars  of  the  business  on 
which  they  were  engaged.  His  age  and  position 
authorized  him  to  ask  such  searching  questions, 
had  the  couple  been  full-grown  men  instead  of 
boys. 

Otto  answered  truthfully,  and  the  colonel 
smiled  grimly  and  shook  his  head. 

"It's  mighty  little  chance  you  have  of  ever 

finding  that  horse  again,  but  you  may  come  upon 

another.     Take  my  advice,  however,"  added  the 

colonel  with  a  wink  of  his  left  eye,  "  make  certain 

2 


26  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

the  owner  isn't  in  sight  when  you  walk  off  with 
the  animal." 

"Why,  colonel,  you  don't  think  we  mean  to 
steal  a  horse  ! "  exclaimed  the  horrified  Jack. 

"  Certainly  not — certainly  riot/'  the  principal 
man  of  the  settlement  hastened  to  say,  "  I  don't 
believe  you  could  be  persuaded  to  do  such  a  thing 
— that  is  if  the  owner  was  looking." 

tc  We  couldn't  be  persuaded  to  do  such  a  thing 
under  any  circumstances"  exclaimed  Jack,  his 
face  flushing  over  the  idea  that  any  one  who 
knew  him  should  suspect  him  capable  of  such  a 
crime. 

"  See  here,"  said  the  colonel,  dropping  his  voice 
and  stepping  in  front  of  them,  "you  tell  me  you 
are  going  after  a  horse.  Have  you  the  money 
with  you  to  buy  one  ?  " 

"  No  ;  we  cannot  get  one  that  way." 

"  I  judged  not ;  how  then  do  you  propose  to 
obtain  him  ?  " 

"  Toby,  the  colt  belonging  to  Otto's  father,  is 
wandering  in  the  woods  not  very  far  away " 

"  How  do  you  know  he  is  ?  "  interrupted  the 
colonel. 

"  Why,  he  was  doing  so  only  a  few  days  ago." 


A   DOUBTFUL    ENTERPRISE.  27 

"  That  is  no  proof  that  he  is  keeping  it  up  ;  in 
fact  it  is  scarcely  possible  that  such  is  the  case. 
Kecollect,  my  boy,  that  several  tribes  of  Indians 
hunt  through  this  portion  of  Louisiana,  and  they 
would  be  much  quicker  than  you  to  observe  the 
trail  of  a  horse  wearing  an  iron  shoe  ;  they  would 
be  inquiring  enough  also  to  investigate  for  them- 
selves, and,  when  they  came  upon  the  colt,  they 
would  snap  him  up  quicker  than  lightning." 

The  boys  felt  that  somehow  or  other  the 
wonderful  young  Shawanoe  would  appear  at  the 
right  moment  and  lend  them  the  help  which  they 
were  certain  to  need.  Should  he  fail  to  do  so,  they 
could  no  more  recapture  and  take  the  colt  to  his 
owner  than  they  could  penetrate  into  the  Dark 
and  Bloody  Ground  and  bring  back  the  great  war 
chief  Tecumseh  as  a  prisoner. 

But  neither  Colonel  Martin  nor  any  one  in  the 
village  knew  anything  about  the  extraordinary 
Indian  youth,  and,  while  Jack  was  asking  himself 
whether  he  should  linger  long  enough  to  explain 
the  situation,  the  gentleman  relieved  them  from 
the  embarrassment  by  a  hearty  slap  on  the 
shoulder  of  Jack,  and  the  exclamations  : 

"  I  was  once  a  boy  myself  !     I  haven't  forgotten 


28  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

that  jolly  time  :  we  always  liked  to  have  some 
sort  of  excuse  when  we  went  off  on  a  frolic.  You 
see  what  a  lot  of  work  there  is  to  do  in  clearing 
the  ground  and  getting  it  ready  for  cultivation  ; 
you  would  much  rather  be  hunting  and  rambling 
through  the  woods  ;  I  can't  say  I  blame  you,  so 
oif  with  you,  and  when  you  come  back  with  word 
that  the  horse  was  mean  enough  to  keep  out  of 
your  way,  why  we  won't  be  too  hard  on  you." 

And  with  another  resounding  slap,  the  hearty 
colonel  gave  the  boys  a  vigorous  shove  which  sent 
them  forward  among  the  trees,  near  which  they 
had  halted. 


CHAPTER    III. 

WHAT    MIGHT    HAVE    BEEN    EXPECTED. 

TACK  CARLETON  was  too  sensible  a  youth 
*~*  to  suppose  that  the  Lost  Trail  could  be 
found  by  a  blind  wandering  through  the  immense 
expanse  of  wilderness,  which  stretched  hundreds 
of  miles  in  almost  every  direction  from  the  little 
settlement  of  Martinsville.  Both  he  and  Otto  had 
a  strong  hope,  when  they  reached  home  after  their 
stirring  adventure  with  Deerfoot,  that  the  colt 
Toby  would  follow  them  of  his  own  accord.  He 
belonged  to  a  species  possessing  such  unusual  in- 
telligence that  there  would  have  been  nothing 
remarkable  in  such  a  proceeding,  and  the  fact 
that  he  did  not  do  so,  gave  ground  for  the  belief 
that  he  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  parties  who 
prevented  the  animal  from  doing  as  he  chose. 

One  fact  was  clearly  established  ;  Toby  had 
been  within  a  comparatively  short  distance  of  the 
settlement,  and,  if  he  had  remained  anywhere  in 
the  neighborhood  during  the  late  storm,  traces  of 


30  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

him  must  be  found  without  much  difficulty.  But 
one  of  the  easiest  things  in  the  world  is  to  theorize 
over  any  problem ;  to  push  that  theory  to  a 
successful  conclusion  is  altogether  another  mat- 
ter. 

While  it  lacked  a  couple  of  hours  of  noon,  the 
boys  reached  an  elevated  section  which  gave  them 
an  extended  view  in  every  direction.  Looking  to 
the  eastward,  Otto  fancied  he  could  detect  the 
gleam  of  the  distant  Mississippi,  but  Jack  assured 
him  he  was  mistaken.  Too  many  miles  lay  be- 
tween them  and  the  mighty  Father  of  Waters  for 
the  eye  to  traverse  the  space. 

Young  Carleton  took  oft'  his  cap  and  drew  his 
handkerchief  across  his  perspiring  forehead.  Then 
he  sighed  and  smiled. 

"  This  doesn't  appear  so  hopeful  to  me  as  it  did 
last  night,  when  we  sat  around  the  fire  and  talked 
it  over ;  but  of  course  we  won't  give  up  so  long  as 
there's  the  least  hope." 

"  And  it  won't  do  for  me  to  give  him  up  then/' 
replied  Otto,  with  a  meaning  shake  of  his  head  ; 
"  you  don't  know  my  fader  as  well  as  me." 

"  I  don't  want  to  either,"  remarked  Jack,  who 
did  not  think  it  his  duty  to  refrain  from  showing 


WHAT    MIGHT    HAVE   BEEN    EXPECTED.          31 

the  contempt  he  felt  for  the  miserly,  cruel  parent 
of  his  friend. 

"  No/'  observed  Otto,  with  a  touch  of  that  grim 
humor  which  he  sometimes  displayed,  "  I  doesn't 
dinks  dot  you  and  him  could  have  much  fun  to- 
gether." 

The  young  friends  were  too  accustomed  to  the 
immensity  of  nature,  as  displayed  on  every  hand, 
to  feel  specially  impressed  by  the  scene  which 
would  have  held  any  one  else  enthralled.  It  may 
be  said  they  were  "  on  business,"  though  it  had 
very  much  the  appearance  of  sport. 

"  Halloo  !  I  expected  it  ! "  called  out  Jack 
Carleton,  whose  gaze  abruptly  rested  on  a  point 
due  southwest,  and  more  than  a  mile  away. 

His  companion  did  not  need  the  guidance  of 
the  outstretched  arm  and  index  finger  leveled 
toward  the  distant  spot,  where  the  smoke  of  a 
camp-fire  was  seen  climbing  toward  the  blue  sky. 
The  scene  on  which  the  boys  looked  was  similar 
to  that  which  met  the  eye  of  Ned  Preston  and 
Deerfoot  when  they  lay  on  the  broad  flat  rock 
and  gazed  across  at  the  signal- fire  in  the  dis- 
tance. 

The  wooded  country  gradually  sloped    to    the 


32  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

south  and  west  from  the  elevation  whereon  the 
young  friends  had  halted,  slowly  rising  and  undu- 
lating until  the  eye  could  follow  the  blue  wavy 
outlines  no  further.  At  the  point  already  named, 
and  in  the  lowest  portion  of  the  intervening 
country,  a  camp-fire  was  burning.  The  smoke,  as 
it  filtered  upward  through  the  branches  of  the 
trees,  and  gradually  dissolved  in  the  pure  air 
above,  was  seen  with  such  distinctness  that  it 
caught  the  eye  of  Jack  the  moment  it  was  turned 
in  that  direction. 

It  was  not  a  signal-fire,  such  as  one  is  likely  to 
detect  when  journeying  through  an  Indian  coun- 
try, but  the  vapor  from  the  camp  of  some  body  of 
men  who  were  not  making  the  slightest  attempt 
to  conceal  themselves,  for  it  cannot  be  conceived 
that  they  had  any  reason  for  doing  so. 

If  the  party  were  Indians,  they  surely  had  no 
necessity  for  stationing  a  sentinel  on  the  outskirts 
of  their  camp  to  watch  for  danger. 

Jack  and  Otto  looked  in  each  other's  faces  and 
smiled  ;  the  natural  question  had  presented  itself 
at  the  same  moment.  It  was,  "  Can  it  be  that 
the  horse  we  are  seeking  is  with  them  ?  " 

"  The  only  way  to  find  out  is  io  go  forward  and 


WHAT   MIGHT   HAVE   BEEN   EXPECTED.         33 

see  for  ourselves,"  said  Jack,  after  they  had  dis- 
cussed the  question  for  several  minutes. 

"  'Spose  dot  de  horse  is  with  them — what 
den?" 

Jack  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"Deerfoot  used  to  say  that  he  could  never 
answer  such  a  question  until  he  knew  exactly  how 
everything  stood.  Now,  we  can't  be  certain 
whether  they  are  Indians  or  white  men,  and  I 
don't  know  as  it  makes  much  difference  one  way 
or  the  other,  for  our  own  horse  thieves  over  in 
Kentucky  were  dreaded  as  much  as  were  the  Sha- 
wanoes.  They  were  a  good  deal  meaner,  too, 
for  they  oppressed  their  own  race." 

"  Dot  is  vot  I  sometimes  dinks  of  fader,"  was 
the  unexpected  remark  of  Otto  ;  "  if  he  was  only 
a  colored  man  or  Injin  I  would  have  more  respect 
for  him  ;  dot  is  so." 

"  Come  on  ;  we  have  started  out  to  do  some- 
thing, and  we  can't  gain  anything  by  staying 
here." 

The  brief  halt  had  refreshed  the  boys,  and  they 
now  moved  forward  with  their  naturally  vigorous 
and  almost  bounding  steps.  While  they  had 
much  curiosity,  and  a  somewhat  singular  misgiv- 


34  CAMP-FIRE  AND  WIGWAM. 

ing,  yet  they  were  in  no  particular  fear,  for  it  was 
impossible  to  believe  they  were  in  any  real  peril. 

It  was  quite  a  tramp  to  reach  the  camp  in 
which  just  then  they  felt  so  much  interest,  and 
the  sun  was  close  to  meridian  when  Jack,  who 
was  slightly  in  advance,  slackened  his  gait,  and 
remarked  in  an  undertone  : 

"  It  can't  be  far— halloo  !  " 

While  picking  their  way  through  the  valley, 
they  lost  sight  of  the  wavering  column  of  vapor, 
except  once  or  twice  when  they  were  able  to  catch 
a  glimpse  of  it  through  the  tree- tops.  Jack's  ex- 
clamation was  caused  by  another  sight  of  4he 
murky  column,  which,  as  he  suspected,  proved  to 
be  little  more  than  a  hundred  yards  distant. 

There  was  so  much  undergrowth  that  nothing 
of  the  fire  itself  could  be  observed,  though  the 
smoke  showed  itself  distinctly  in  the  clear  air 
above. 

"  Veil,  vot  does  we  does  now  ?"  was  the  natural 
query  of  Otto,  as  he  placed  himself  beside  his 
young  friend. 

"  I  guess  we  may  as  well  keep  on,  until  we  find 
out  who  they  are." 

"  After  we  finds  out  vot  we  does  detf?  " 


WHAT   MIGHT   HAVE  BEEN   EXPECTED.         35 

"We  shall  see — come  on." 

It  was  simple  prudence  that  they  should  speak 
in  whispers,  and  step  with  as  much  care  as  if  they 
were  scouts  entering  the  camp  of  an  enemy.  It 
would  have  been  rashness  to  neglect  so  simple  a 
precaution,  no  matter  how  favorable  the  circum- 
stances. 

"  Holds  on  !  "  whispered  Otto,  "  I  dinks  I  goes 
around  the  oder  side  while  you  takes  a  look  on  dis 
side." 

"  There  is  no  need  of  doing  that,"  interposed 
Jack  ;  "  we  found  out  the  consequence  of  sepa- 
rating when  in  danger.  You  needn't  keep  behind 
me,  but  you  may  walk  at  my  side." 

"  All  right,"  responded  Otto,  obeying  the  sug- 
gestion. 

A  rod  or  two  further,  and  something  red 
gleamed,  ameng  the  trees  and  undergrowth. 
Smoke  was  observed  at  the  same  moment,  and 
immediately  after  came  the  hum  of  voices  and  the 
sight  of  persons  stretched  on  the  ground  in  loll- 
ing, indolent  positions,  while  some  were  sitting  on 
a  fallen  tree,  and  two  were  engaged  in  broiling 
some  venison,  which  evidently  was  meant  to  fur- 
nish dinner"  for  the  rest.  The  majority  were 


36  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

smoking  a  species  of  red  clay  pipe,  and  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  party  suggested  that  they  were 
resting  after  a  laborious  tramp  through  the  woods. 

There  were  precisely  ten,  and  they  were  Indians 
— every  one.  Jack  could  not  be  certain  of  the 
tribe  to  which  they  belonged,  but  inasmuch  as  it 
was  apparent  they  were  neither  Shawanoes  nor 
Hurons,  he  was  confident  they  were  Osages, 
though  it  was  not  impossible  that  their  totem 
was  another  altogether. 

Several  peculiarities  about  the  strange  Indians 
interested  the  youth.  They  were  noticeably 
shorter  in  stature  than  the  Hurons  and  Shawa- 
noes whom  they  had  been  accustomed  to  meet  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Mississippi.  The  poetical 
American  Indian  is  far  different  from  the  one  in 
real  life.  It  is  rarely  that  a  really  handsome  war- 
rior or  squaw  is  met.  They  are.  generally  a 
slouchy,  frowsy,  lazy,  unclean  people,  of  whom 
nothing  is  truer  than  that  distance  lends  enchant- 
ment to  their  view. 

Those  upon  whom  Jack  and  Otto  gazed  with 
natural  curiosity,  were  not  only  shorter  in  stature, 
but  of  homelier  countenance.  Their  eyes  were 
smaller,  more  piggish,  and  further  apart,  their 


WHAT    MIGHT    HAVE    BEEN    EXPECTED.          37 

cheek-bones  more  prominent,  the  foreheads  lower 
and  more  sloping,  while  Jack  always  asserted  that 
they  had  much  larger  mouths  than  the  Indians 
with  whom  he  was  familiar. 

While  asking  themselves  whether  it  was  wise 
to  go  any  closer  and  to  make  their  acquaintance, 
the  lads  stood  side  by  side,  each  with  the  stock  of 
his  gun  resting  on  the  earth,  while  their  whole 
attention  was  absorbed  by  the  curious  scene  before 
them. 

It  would  naturally  follow  that  if  the  Indian 
party  was  in  such  plain  sight  of  the  boys,  they 
themselves  must  have  been  visible  to  the  red 
men  had  they  chosen  to  cast  their  searching 
glances  towards  the  spot  where  the  two  were 
standing,  even  though  the  latter  were  partially 
hidden  by  the  undergrowth. 

Had  Jack  and  Otto  been  as  vigilant  and  suspi- 
cious as  they  ought  to  have  been,  their  misgivings 
would  have  been  awakened  by  what  took  place 
within  the  next  ten  minutes.  Two  of  the  war- 
riors, leaving  their  rifles  where  they  were  leaning 
against  a  fallen  tree,  leisurely  rose  and  sauntered 
into  the  woods,  taking  a  course  directly  opposite 
to  that  which  would  have  led  them  to  where  the 


38  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

boys  stood.  The  latter  observed  the  movement, 
but  thought  nothing  of  it. 

"  What  do  you  say  ?  "  finally  asked  Jack,  in  a 
guarded  voice ;  "  shall  we  go  forward  and  make 
their  acquaintance  ?  " 

"Dey  haven't  any  horses  that  we  can  see,  and  I 
dinks  dot  we  better  goes  away  till  some  other 
time." 

"  I  am  inclined  to  believe  you  are  right " 

At  that  moment,  and  without  the  least  warn- 
ing, a  brawny,  coppery  arm  shot  over  the  shoulder 
of  Jack  Carleton,  and,  grasping  his  rifle  with  an 
iron  grip,  snatched  it  from  him.  At  the  same 
instant,  a  precisely  similar  movement  deprived 
Otto  Eelstaub  of  his  most  important  weapon,  the 
two  friends  being  made  prisoners  before  they 
dreamed  they  were  in  the  least  danger. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

CAPTORS   AND   CAPTIVES. 

~TT~TITH  an  exclamation  of  affright,  Jack 
*  ^  Carle  ton  whirled  on  his  heel  and  found 
the  broad,  grinning  face  of  one  of  the  warriors 
almost  against  his  own.  Holding  the  rifle  back, 
as  if  expecting  an  attempt  to  recover  it,  the  sav- 
age thrust  his  head  forward,  with  a  tantalizing 
expression  overspreading  his  ugly  features.  At 
the  same  moment  he  muttered  something  very 
rapidly  in  his  own  tongue.  Not  a  word  was  un- 
derstood by  Jack,  but  he  was  sure  the  warrior 
said,  "Ah,  ha,  young  man,  I've  caught  you,  and 
you  can't  help  yourself." 

The  experience  of  Otto  Eelstaub  was  slightly 
different  from  that  of  his  companion.  When  he 
found  his  rifle  gone  and  a  squatty  Indian  at  his 
elbow,  he  was  panic-stricken. 

"Mine  gracious  ! "  he  exclaimed,  "  this  ain't  de 
best  place  for  me ;  I  dinks  I  goes  to  some  oder 
place." 


40  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

Naturally  he  made  a  dash  to  retrace  his  steps, 
but  the  warrior  was  too  quick  for  him.  He  had 
taken  his  second  step  only,  when  his  captor 
grasped  the  ankle  of  the  foot  that  was  rising  from 
the  ground,  and  drew  backward  with  such  force 
that  Otto  sprawled  on  his  face. 

Jack,  who  could  not  believe  that  these  red  men 
were  of  a  very  sanguinary  disposition,  laughed 
outright  over  the  discomfiture  of  his  friend. 

"  Can't  you  kick  him  loose  ?  "  he  called. 

"If  he  don't  hang  on  too  tight,"  replied  Otto, 
trying  with  might  and  main  to  free  himself. 

The  moment  the  boys  were  captured,  the  atten- 
tion of  the  entire  company  was  centred  upon  them. 
All  talking  ceased,  and  every  one  stood  up  and 
looked  toward  the  point  of  interest.  Several  went 
forward  to  meet  the  captives,  and  the  general  grin 
that  lighted  up  the  aboriginal  countenances  seemed 
to  shed  a  mild  sort  of  sunlight  among  and  under 
the  trees. 

"  It's  no  use,"  said  Jack  to  his  friend  ;  "  we 
can't  get  away  until  they  are  ready  to  let  us  go." 

"  Vot  does  they  mean  to  do  mit  us  ?  " 

"  That  is  hard  to  tell,"  replied  the  young  Ken- 
tuckian,  with  a  serious  countenance  ;  £i  I  don't 


CAPTORS   AND   CAPTIVES.  41 

know  to  what  tribe  they  belong,  but  I  believe  they 
ain't  half  as  bad  as  the  Shawanoes." 

"  Dey  couldn't  be  any  more  cruel  don  dem," 
was  the  truthful  observation  of  the  young  Ger- 
man. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  seconds  the  boys  were 
fully  introduced  to  the  camp-fire  of  the  strange 
Indians,  who  were  not  in  war  paint,  and  who,  as 
the  boys  rightly  believed,  belonged  to  a  less  blood- 
thirsty totem  than  did  the  redskins  on  the  eastern 
bank  of  the  Mississippi. 

Every  warrior  was  standing  on  his  feet,  and  they 
all  crowded  around  the  boys,  as  though  they  had 
never  seen  any  of  their  race  until  that  moment. 
They  continually  talked  in  their  guttural,  grunt- 
ing fashion,  smiling  and  nodding  their  heads. 
Two  of  them  pinched  the  limbs  of  the  boys  as 
though  testing  their  muscle.  So  far  from  show- 
ing any  alarm,  Jack  Carleton  clenched  his  fist  and 
elevated  his  arm,  swaying  the  hand  back  and  forth 
as  if  proud  to  display  the  development  of  his  bi- 
ceps. But  Otto  was  in  too  doleful  a  mood  to  in- 
dulge in  anything  of  the  kind. 

As  a  matter  of  course,  the  Indians  could  not 
feel  the  slightest  misgiving  on  account  of  their 


42  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

prisoners.  They  must  have  known  of  the  settle- 
ment only  a  few  miles  distant,  and  they  had  not 
offered  to  disturb  it,  nor  had  they  molested  any  of 
the  pioneers  when  they  ventured  into  the  woods 
in  quest  of  game. 

Such  being  the  case,  it  can  be  readily  seen  that, 
so  far  as  the  settlers  were  concerned,  the  Indians 
were  safe.  Although  within  gunshot  of  Martins- 
ville,  the  red  men  took  no  precaution  at  all  against 
molestation  from  them. 

It  struck  Jack  as  curious  that  among  the  war- 
riors gathered  around  them,  not  one  had  as  yet 
spoken  a  word  that  he  could  understand.  The 
American  race  have  shown  a  quickness  from  the 
first  to  pick  up  expressions  from  the  language  of 
those  near  them.  Who  has  forgotten  Samoset's 
"  Welcome,  Englishmen  ! "  uttered  to  the  first 
settlers  at  Plymouth,  who  were  at  a  loss  to  under- 
stand where  the  red  man  learned  the  pleasant 
words  ? 

Jack  Carleton,  who  retained  his  self-possession 
much  better  than  did  his  friend,  listened  hope- 
fully for  some  word  which  he  could  recognize. 

While  he  was  disappointed  in  that  respect,  he 
could  not  believe  that  he  and  Otto  were  in  any 


CAPTORS   AND    CAPTIVES.  43 

imminent  peril  from  their  captors,  though,  on  the 
other  hand,  he  was  very  far  from  feeling  safe 
against  harm.  With  a  coolness  that  must  have 
awakened  admiration  among  the  barbarians,  the 
youth,  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  group,  folded 
his  arms,  and  smilingly  looked  in  the  repellant 
faces,  none  of  which  were  at  a  greater  altitude 
than  his  own. 

After  pinching  different  parts  of  the  bodies 
of  the  boys,  the  Indians  seemed  to  be  satisfied 
and  stepped  back.  The  majority  sat  down  on 
the  log,  others  sauntered  away,  relighting  their 
pipes  that  had  burned  out,  and  the  two  who 
had  been  serving  as  cooks,  gave  their  attention 
to  the  venison  steak,  whose  appetizing  odor  filled 
the  surrounding  space. 

"  Otto,  we  may  as  well  take  it  quietly,"  said 
Jack,  sauntering  to  the  butt  of  the  log,  and  seat- 
ing himself,  "  they  don't  mean  to  tomahawk  us 
just  yet,  and  I  hope  they  will  give  us  some  dinner 
before  they  dispose  of  us." 

The  German  imitated  the  action  of  Jack,  but 
he  did  not  share  his  self-possession.  He  shook  his 
head  in  a  way  which  showed  he  was  far  from  feel- 
ing comfortable. 


44  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

"  You  seem  more  seared  than  when  we  were  be- 
hind the  logs,  with  the  Shawanoes  and  Hurons  on 
the  outside/'  said  Jack ;  "  I  don't  understand 
how  that  can  be.  I  am  sure  there  is  less  to  dread 
from  these  Indians  than  from  them." 

"  It  ain't  de  Injins  dot  makes  me  feel  so  bad," 
replied  Otto  with  a  rueful  expression,  "  but  fader." 

"  What's  the  matter  with  him  ?  " 

"  De  colt  is  lost  and  now  dey  takes  mine  gun 
from  me  ;  if  I  goes  back  dot  way,  fader  will  whip 
me  harder  than  ever." 

Jack  was  serious  for  a  moment  and  then  he 
laughed. 

"  I  never  dreamed  that  that  was  your  trouble. 
Of  course,  if  you  go  home  without  your  gun  the 
old  gentleman  will  be  angry,  but  there  is  one  good 
thing  about  the  matter." 

"  What's  that  ?  " 

"  No  matter  what  happens,  he  can't  be  any 
meaner  and  more  cruel  than  he  is  now." 

Otto  removed  his  tall,  conical  hat,  looked 
thoughtfully  down  at  the  ground  in  front,  and 
slowly  scratched  his  head.  Manifestly  he  was  in 
deep  thought.  Suddenly  he  looked  up,  his  face 
aglow. 


CAPTORS  AND   CAPTIVES.  45 

"  Dot  is  so.  I  don't  care  now  vot  dey  takes,  I 
will  valks  home  and  tells  fader  and  moder  dot  I 
lost  it,  den  won't  they  be  mad  !  Oh,  mine 
gracious  !  " 

And  leaning  far  back  on  the  log  and  donning 
his  hat,  he  slapped  his  knee  with  his  right  hand 
and  shook  all  over  with  laughter.  There  is  some- 
thing contagious  in  such  an  exhibition,  as  we  all 
know,  and  not  only  did  Jack  laugh  in  unison, 
but  several  of  the  warriors  showed  they  were 
amused. 

"  I  thought  all  the  time  Otto  was  alarmed  on 
account  of  the  Indians/'  said  Jack  to  himself, 
"and  it  was  nothing  of  the  kind;  he  was  only 
afraid  that  his  father  will  be  madder  than  ever 
when  he  goes  back  not  only  without  the  lost 
horse,  but  without  some  of  the  property  he  took 
away  with  him.  Now  that  fear  is  gone  and  Otto 
begins  to  feel  better  than  I  do,  for,"  thought  the 
youth,  looking  around  him,  "  we  certainly  are  not 
in  the  best  situation  in  the  world." 

The  youth  could  not  help  observing  that  while 
the  Indians  seemed  to  pay  little  attention  to 
them,  he  and  Otto  were  under  strict  surveillance. 
As  no  motion  had  been  made  to  bind  them,  the 


46  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

boys  could  make  a  sudden  break  or  dash  for  lib- 
erty whenever  the  whim  took  possession  of  them, 
but  nothing  could  be  gained  and  a  great  deal 
might  be  lost  by  such  an  attempt.  Stumpy  and 
heavy-set  as  were  the  warriors,  they  could  easily 
outrun  their  captives,  and  rather  than  permit 
them  to  get  away,  they  would  doubtless  riddle 
them  with  bullets.  Consequently,  while  the  same 
thought  came  to  each  of  the  friends  more  than 
once,  as  they  sat  conversing  on  the  log,  neither 
proposed  any  effort  to  get  away. 

They  had  brought  nothing  in  the  shape  of 
lunch  with  them,  and  it  may  be  doubted  whether 
any  one  of  the  Indians  was  more  ravenously  hun- 
gry than  were  they.  It  would  go  hard  with 
them,  if  deprived  of  their  share  of  the  dinner, 
prepared  by  the  aboriginal  cooks. 

When  the  huge  slices  of  venison  were  half 
broiled,  the  distribution  followed.  The  cooks 
handled  their  hunting-knives  with  such  deftness, 
that  in  a  twinkling,  as  may  be  said,  the  jaws  of 
the  entire  party  were  vigorously  at  work.  After 
receiving  their  respective  shares,  few  made  the 
slightest  use  of  their  knives.  The  aborigines  live 
and  eat  so  much  like  wild  animals,  that,  almost 


CAPTORS   AND    CAPTIVES.  47 

without  exception,  they  possess  admirable  teeth 
which  need  no  artificial  assistance. 

"  My  gracious  ! 5>  whispered  Jack,  u  I  believe 
they  don't  mean  to  give  us  so  much  as  a  bite." 

"  If  dey  doesn't  do  so,  den  I  dies  mit  hunger," 
was  the  despairing  exclamation  of  Otto,  who 
forgot  that  only  a  few  hours  had  passed  since  he 
had  partaken  liberally  of  food.  "  I  never  felt  so 
hungry  as  I  feels  now,  and  now  I'm  growing 
worser " 

Something  thumped  against  the  side  of  the 
speaker's  head  with  such  force  that  his  hat  fell 
off.  Jack  had  just  time  to  see  that  it  was  a  piece 
of  cooked  venison,  when  a  similar  blessing  struck 
him. 

The  two  Indians  were  dexterous  throwers,  and 
they  and  half  a  dozen  were  grinning  over  the 
result. 

The  result  was  satisfactory  in  every  way  to  the 
victims,  if  such  they  may  be  considered,  for, 
besides  furnishing  them  with  the  much-needed 
nourishment,  it  was  a  strong  proof  of  the  indiffer- 
ence, if  not  the  good- will  of  their  captors.  Had 
they  felt  ill  inclined  toward  the  boys,  they  would 
not  have  shown  such  kindness  toward  them. 


48  CAMP-FIKE    AND    WIGWAM. 

"  When  you  are  in  Rome,  do  as  the  Romans 
do,"  laughed  Jack,  seating  himself  on  the  fallen 
tree  and  devouring  the  half-cooked  meat  with  the 
gusto  of  those  around  him.  Indeed  he  and  Otto 
had  eaten  many  a  time  in  a  similar  style,  and  few 
persons  find  difficulty  in  making  savages  of  them- 
selves in  every  respect,  whenever  the  inclination 
so  to  do  takes  possession  of  them. 

The  boys  would  have  relished  double  the 
amount  of  food,  but  enough  had  been  given  to 
remove  all  discomfort,  and  they  would  have  found 
it  hard  to  describe  the  thorough  enjoyment  the 
lunch  imparted. 

But  now  that  the  troublesome  question  was 
answered,  the  thought  of  the  youths  naturally 
turned  to  the  immediate  future.  Had  these 
Indians  formed  any  purpose  respecting  their 
prisoners  ?  If  so,  what  was  it  likely  to  be  ?  Did 
they  intend  to  kill  them  with  rifle,  tomahawk,  or 
knife  ?  Or  would  they  be  taken  away  captives  ? 
Did  the  red  men  belong  to  the  Osage  tribe  of 
Indians,  or  was  theirs  some  fiercer  or  milder  totem 
from  a  distant  part  of  the  country  ? 

It  is  a  fact  that  among  many  of  the  early  settle- 
ments  in  Missouri  and  other  Western  States,  the 


CAPTORS    AND    CAPTIVES.  49 

warriors  who  were  occasionally  encountered  in  the 
forests,  or  who  fired  from  the  covert  of  the  trees, 
belonged  to  tribes  whose  hunting-grounds  were 
many  leagues  away.  They  were  not  Shawanoe, 
Huron,  Pottawatomie,  Osage,  Miami,  Delaware, 
Illinois,  Kickapoo,  or  Winnebago.  Sometimes  a 
veteran  trapper  recognized  the  dress  and  general 
appearance  that  he  had  noted  among  the  red 
men  to  the  northward,  and  far  beyond  the  Assini- 
boine ;  others  who  had  ventured  hundreds  of 
miles  to  the  westward,  remembered  exchanging 
shots  with  similar  dusky  warriors  on  the  slopes  of 
the  Kocky  Mountains. 

Indeed  it  cannot  be  questioned  that  the  Ameri- 
can race  not  cnly  produced  warriors,  orators,  and 
magnificent  leaders,  but  it  had  its  travelers  and 
explorers — the  name  being  accepted  in  its  re- 
stricted meaning. 

More  than  once  Jack  had  wondered  whether 
this  party  had  not  come  from  a  long  distance  in 
the  interior,  perhaps  hundreds  of  miles,  and  that 
having  completed  the  errand  on  which  they  had 
journeyed  so  far,  were  now  on  their  return. 

"If  this  is  so/'  he  said  to  Otto,  when 
they  observed  the  party  making  preparations  to 
3 


50  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

leave,  "  they  will  take  us  on  a  good  long 
march." 

"  I  dinks  maybe  dey  knocks  us  in  the  head,  so 
as  not  to  makes  us  feel  bad  apout  going  away 
from  home." 

Further  conversation  was  checked  by  some 
minutes  of  bustle  and  activity.  The  Indians 
seemed  to  have  come  very  suddenly  to  the  con- 
clusion to  depart,  and  the  boys  naturally  shared 
the  excitement ;  but  possibly  their  dismay  can  be 
imagined,  when  it  became  apparent  that  the  red 
men  intended  to  divide  into  two  parties,  and  that 
as  a  consequence  the  boys  would  have  to  part 
company,  and  who  shall  say  whether  it  was  to  be 
for  a  few  days,  a  few  years,  or  forever  ? 


CHAPTER  V. 

JOURNEYING   SOUTHWARD. 

~TT  never  occurred  to  Jack  and  Otto  that  their 
captors  meant  to  separate  until  the  division 
actually  took  place.  As  if  by  a  general  under- 
standing, one  half  of  the  party  moved  to  the  right, 
and  the  rest  partly  to  the  left,  the  course  of  the 
former  being  due  west,  and  of  the  latter  directly 
south. 

u  Halloo,  Otto  ! "  called  Jack,  turning  his  head 
and  stopping  among  the  members  of  his  own 
division  who  were  moving  off ;  "  they're  going  to 
part  company." 

"  Dot  is  vot  it  looks  like  ;  but  I  guess  it  ain't 
going  to  be  for  one  great  vile.  Good-by  ! " 

Jack  was  unwilling  to  part  with  his  friend  in 
this  abrupt  fashion,  and  he  started  toward  him 
with  a  view  of  shaking  his  hand.  He  did  not 
dream  that  his  movement  would  awaken  the  least 
opposition  ;  but  he  presumed  too  much  on  the 
indulgence  of  the  red  men,  for,  before  he  could 


52  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

take  three  steps,  one  of  the  warriors  caught  his 
arm,  and,  with  a  violent  wrench,  flung  him  in  the 
opposite  direction. 

It  required  the  utmost  effort  of  Jack  to  save 
himself  from  falling,  and  a  stinging  pain  ran 
through  his  shoulder.  His  hot  Kentucky  hlood 
was  aflame,  and  the  instant  he  could  poise  his 
hody  he  drew  his  knife  and  rushed  upon  the 
Indian  with  the  fury  of  a  tiger. 

"  I'll  show  you  that  you  can't  treat  me  that 
way  !  "  he  exclaimed. 

The  warrior  whom  he  was  about  to  assail  faced 
him  in  a  crouching  posture,  hoth  hands  resting  on 
his  knees,  while  his  ugly  countenance  was  bisected 
by  a  tantalizing  grin  which  showed  the  molars  of 
both  jaws.  His  black  eyes  gleamed  like  those  of 
a  rattlesnake,  and  his  whole  attitude  and  manner 
showed  that  he  was  seeking  to  goad  the  lad  to  at- 
tack him. 

The  impetus  was  not  needed.  Jack  Carleton 
had  no  thought  of  hesitation,  though  even  in  his 
rage  he  felt  that  there  was  scarcely  a  shadow  of 
hope  that  he  would  escape  with  his  life  from  such 
an  encounter. 

The  moment  Jack  was  close  enough  he  bounded 


JOURNEYING   SOUTHWARD.  53 

forward  and  made  a  sweeping  blow,  with  the  knife 
gripped  in  his  right  hand.  Had  the  weapon 
struck  where  it  was  aimed,  there  would  have  been 
one  Indian  less  before  the  spectators  could  have 
realized  what  had  taken  place.  The  other  war- 
riors were  looking  upon  the  picture  as  though  in 
doubt  of  what  was  coming.  Among  those  watch- 
ing the  scene  was  Otto  Relstaub,  whose  eyes  were 
riveted  on  his  friend.  The  thrilling  encounter 
had  opened  so  suddenly  that  he  fairly  held  his 
breath,  certain  that  Jack  would  not  live  two  min- 
utes longer. 

But  the  knife  of  the  boy  missed  its  mark  alto- 
gether. The  keen  point  whizzed  through  empty 
air,  the  spiteful  force  of  the  blow  turning  the  lad 
half  way  around  on  his  feet,  and  leaving  him 
utterly  at  the  mercy  of  the  warrior  ;  the  latter 
could  have  smitten  him  to  the  earth  with  the  sud- 
denness of  the  lightning  stroke. 

But  the  Indian  did  not  so  much  as  draw  his 
weapon.  With  a  quickness  which  the  eye  could 
scarcely  follow,  he  snatched  the  wrist  of  the  boy's 
hand  and  bent  it  back  with  such  force  that  poor 
Jack  was  glad  to  let  the  weapon  fall  to  the 
ground.  He  was  discomfited  and  helpless. 


54  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

Jack  folded  his  arms,  so  as  to  bring  the  injured 
wrist  against  his  left  side  and  under  his  elbow. 
Pressing  it  close  to  his  body,  he  shut  his  white 
lips  and  forced  back  the  cry  that  struggled  for 
utterance. 

With  wonderful  coolness  the  triumphant  red 
man  stooped  to  the  ground,  picked  up  the  hunt- 
ing-knife, and  with  the  same  expanse  of  grin, 
presented  it  to  Jack,  the  handle  toward  him. 

"  Takes  him,  Jack  ! "  called  out  Otto,  who  was 
probably  the  most  astounded  spectator  of  the 
scene  ;  "  but  don't  try  to  kills  him  ag'in." 

Young  Carleton  for  a  moment  was  as  bewil- 
dered as  a  child  ;  but  his  good  sense  rapidly  re- 
turned, and,  with  a  smile  in  answer  to  that  of  the 
Indian,  he  accepted  the  weapon  and  shoved  it 
back  in  its  place. 

Jack  was  mortified  beyond  expression  at  the 
sorry  show  he  had  made.  He  had  cut  a  ridiculous 
figure,  and  no  wonder  a  general  smile  lighted  up 
the  faces  of  the  red  men  gathered  around. 

But  the  youth  made  a  mistake  when  he  believed 
he  had  lowered  himself  in  the  eyes  of  his  captors. 
The  American  race  (like  all  others)  admire  true 
courage  arid  pluck,  even  though  judgment  may  be 


- 


JOURNEYING   SOUTHWARD.  55 

lacking,  and  the  dauntless  style  in  which  the  young 
captive  attacked  his  tormentor,  when  there  was  no 
prospect  of  success,  awoke  a  responsive  chord  in 
the  breast  of  all.  Had  Jack  shown  himself  a 
coward,  they  might  have  treated  him  as  they 
often  did  such  captives  ;  but  the  brave  young 
fellow  was  in  no  danger,  at  least  for  the  present. 

The  occurrence  took  but  a  fraction  of  the  time 
that  has  been  occupied  in  the  telling,  and  Jack 
was  only  given  opportunity  to  replace  the  knife, 
when  his  captors,  arranging  themselves  so  as  to 
surround  him,  resumed  their  march  to  the  west- 
ward. Precisely  at  the  same  instant  the  other 
half  of  the  company  did  the  same  in  the  other 
direction,  and  once  more  Otto  Kelstaub  called  out : 

"  Good-by,  Jack  !  good-by  to  you  !  " 

"  Good-by,  my  friend  ! "  shouted  Jack,  his 
heart  filled  with  a  deep  misgiving  over  the  singu- 
lar event.  "  Keep  up  a  good  heart,  though  there's 
no  telling  whether  we  shall  ever  meet  again." 

"  If  I  get  home  before  you  gets  dere  I  will  tell 
Colonel  Martin,  and  we'll  follow  you  to  the  Eocky 
Mountains 

Even  in  that  serious  moment  Jack  Carle  ton 
broke  into  laughter  when  he  saw  that  the  usual 


56  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

fortune  of  Otto  clung  to  him.  His  foot  caught  in 
some  obstruction,  and  while  in  the  act  of  waving 
his  hand  and  exchanging  greetings  with  his  friend, 
he  stumbled  forward  and  went  down.  Clamber- 
ing to  his  feet  he  turned  to  complete  his  words, 
but  his  captors  seemed  to  have  lost  patience  on 
account  of  the  delay.  One  seized  his  right  and 
another  his  left  arm  and  began  walking  him 
rapidly  off.  The  last  sight  which  Jack  gained  of 
the  fellow  showed  him  between  two  Indians,  who 
were  hurrying  him  along  with  such  vigor  that  his 
head  rose  and  sank  with  each  unwilling  footstep, 
as  though  he  was  alternately  lifted  from  and 
pressed  down  to  the  ground.  A  few  seconds  later 
and  the  intervening  trees  hid  him  from  sight. 

It  would  have  been  difficult  for  Jack  Carleton 
to  describe  his  varied  emotions  when  forced  to 
admit  the  fact  that  he  was  an  actual  prisoner 
among  a  band  of  wandering  Indians.  The  mem- 
orable journey  from  Kentucky  into  Louisiana  had 
been  attended  by  many  stirring  experiences,  and 
more  than  once  every  avenue  of  escape  seemed  to 
be  closed,  but,  now  for  the  first  time,  he  found 
himself  a  captive  within  a  few  miles  of  his  own 
home. 


JOURNEYING   SOUTHWARD.  57 

Whither  would  these  red  men  take  him  ?  Did 
they  mean  to  hold  him  a  permanent  captive,  or,  as 
is  often  the  case  with  their  race,  would  they  put 
him  to  torture  and  finally  to  death  ?  The  settle- 
ments of  Kentucky  and  Ohio  were  crimsoned  with 
the  deeds  of  the  red  men,  and,  though  some  tribes 
were  less  warlike  than  others,  it  was  not  to  be 
supposed  that  any  of  them  were  distinguished  for 
mercy  and  forbearance. 

"If  Colonel  Martin  only  knew  this,"  thought 
Jack,  while  tramping  forward,  "  it  wouldn't  take 
him  long  to  gather  the  men  together,  and  they 
would  come  down  on  these  folks  like  a  whirlwind  ; 
but  Otto  and  I  may  be  gone  for  weeks  before  any 
one  will  suspect  we  are  in  trouble.  Even  then 
they  won't  know  what  to  do.  No,  sir,"  added 
Jack,  compressing  his  lips,  "whatever  is  done 
must  be  done  by  myself,  and,  with  the  help  of 
heaven,  I  shall  part  company  with  these  red  men 
just  as  soon  as  the  chance  presents  itself." 

Any  one  in  the  situation  of  Jack  Carleton  can- 
not lack  for  themes  on  which  to  employ  his  brain. 
It  is  safe  to  assert  that  the  boy  did  more  thinking 
while  on  that  eventful  march  than  he  had  done  in 
the  same  space  of  time  for  years. 


58  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

It  may  be  said  that  while  the  party  were  on  the 
march,  and  the  warriors  were  together,  it  was 
utterly  out  of  the  question  for  Jack  to  leave 
against  their  will.  Three  strode  along  in  front, 
while  two  were  in  the  rear.  Every  one  was  fleeter 
of  foot  than  he,  and  they  had  six  rifles  in  their 
possession,  while  he  had  none  at  all.  Could  he 
secure  several  hundred  yards'  start,  they  wo-uld 
have  no  difficulty  in  trailing  and  running  him 
down,  for  the  sky  was  clear,  the  sun  bright,  and 
the  footprints  of  the  boy  would  show  as  distinctly 
to  the  keen  eyes  of  the  red  men  as  though  made  in 
the  dust  of  the  highway. 

No,  he  must  wait  for  the  darkness  of  the  night, 
when  a  few  yards  between  him  and  his  enemies 
would  prove  like  a  stone  wall ;  when  insidious 
sleep  would  seal  the  eyes  of  the  dusky  barbarians, 
and  he  could  steal  out  in  the  gloom,  leaving  them 
to  wait  for  hours  before  taking  up  his  trail. 

One  person  was  continually  in  the  thoughts  of 
Jack  Carleton — Deer-foot.  "  Where  is  he  ?  Is 
he  days'  journey  to  the  south  ?  Is  there  any 
hope  of  him  playing  the  part  of  a  friend  for  Otto 
and  me  ? " 

These  and  similar  questions  were  asked  again 


JOURNEYING  SOUTHWARD.  59 

and  again  while  the  youth  was  tramping  through 
the  wood  in  the  company  of  his  captors,  and  his 
heart  sank  when  his  own  good  sense  obliged  him 
to  answer  each  one  in  the  most  unsatisfactory 
manner. 

He  recalled  that  Deerfoot  parted  with  them  only 
a  few  days  before  in  a  manner  which  implied  that 
considerable  time  must  pass  before  they  would  see 
each  other  again.  The  young  Shawanoe  could  not 
suspect  that  when  his  friends  reached  home,  they 
would  immediately  proceed  to  get  into  trouble,  as 
they  had  just  done. 

"  No,"  added  Jack,  with  a  sigh,  "  from  what  I 
know  and  have  heard  of  Deerfoot,  he  has  a  won- 
derful way  of  turning  up  when  wanted,  but  it's  no 
use  to  look  for  him  in  this  case." 

The  conclusion  of  the  boy  was  a  sensible  one, 
and  he  resolutely  faced  the  situation  as  it  present- 
ed itself  to  him.  It  was  most  serious,  and  it  may 
be  said  that  every  passing  hour  rendered  it  more 
so,  for  he  was  moving  away  from  home,  and  there- 
by increasing  the  difficulties  of  returning  thither, 
should  it  become  his  good  fortune  to  gain  the  op- 
portunity to  do  so. 

The  warriors  who  were  walking  in  front,  fol- 


60  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

lowed  the  usual  custom  of  their  people — that  is, 
they  proceeded  in  Indian  file,  so  that  the  boy 
was  given  a  fair  view  only  of  the  one  immediately 
before  him — the  glimpses  of  the  others  being 
fragmentary.  Glancing  behind,  he  observed  the 
same  fact,  so  that  the  entire  party  made  but  the 
single  trail,  for  Jack  himself  was  wise  enough  to 
fall  in  with  their  custom. 

"  It  may  be,"  he  muttered,  after  traveling 
several  miles  in  silence,  "  that  they  live  hundreds 
of  miles  off  and  that  I  won't  have  a  chance  to 
leave  them  for  weeks  or  months  or — years,"  he 
added  in  a  hushed  voice,  and  with  an  additional 
heart-throb,  "but  I  shall  never  be  reconciled  to 
live  in  the  wigwams  of  the  red  men." 

It  seemed  curious  to  the  young  captive  that  a 
party  of  friends,  like  the  Indians,  should  tramp 
mile  after  mile  as  they  did  without  speaking  a 
single  word.  Now  and  then,  some  one  would  ut- 
ter an  exclamation  which  sounded  more  like  the 
grunt  of  a  porker  than  anything  else,  but  fre- 
quently they  advanced  steadily  for  an  hour  or 
more  in  perfect  silence. 

Sometimes  the  forest  was  open  and  free  from 
undergrowth,  then  it  was  cluttered  up  with  run- 


JOURNEYING   SOUTHWARD.  61 

ning  vines  which  would  have  annoyed  any  one 
unaccustomed  to  them,  but  which  proved  no 
obstacle  to  the  Indians.  In  fact,  they  walked 
without  showing  the  least  regard  to  them. 
Where  Jack,  if  leading,  would  have  lifted  his 
feet,  they  shoved  ahead  and  without  effort 
snapped  and  turned  them  aside  as  though  they 
were  so  many  cobwebs. 

"It  all  comes  from  training,"  concluded  our 
friend,  as  he  attempted  to  catch  a  switch  which 
swung  back  and  struck  him  across  the  face  ;  "if 
I  was  alone,  it  would  take  me  twice  as  long  as  it 
takes  them,  and  then  I  would  fare  worse  than 
they  do." 

All  at  once,  they  came  upon  a  creek.  It  was 
barely  twenty  feet  in  width,  but  muddy,  swift  and 
deep.  There  was  something  impressive  in  the 
speed  with  which  the  volume  of  water  rushed 
through  the  woods,  as  if  fleeing  in  a  panic  from 
some  peril  at  its  heels. 

The  entire  party  came  to  a  halt,  ranging  them- 
selves along  the  bank  and  surveying  the  turbid 
torrents,  as  though  they  wished  to  talk  with  each 
other  upon  the  best  method  of  placing  themselves 
on  the  other  side. 


62  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

"  I  hope  they  won't  swim  it,"  Jack  said  to  him- 
self, "for  their  people  make  no  allowance  for 
those  that  are  not  as  skillful  as  they,  and  I  will 
get  into  trouble." 


CHAPTER     VI. 

AN    INVOLUNTARY    BATH. 

TT  was  not  to  be  supposed  that  a  party  of 
Indians  could  be  checked  by  a  stream  of 
water.  If  necessary  they  could  swim  across,  but, 
inasmuch  as  the  party  separated,  and  while  seve- 
ral went  up,  the  rest  walked  down  the  stream,  it 
was  evident  they  were  searching  for  a  more  suita- 
ble spot  in  which  to  make  the  passage. 

Jack  Carleton  followed  the  larger  party,  which 
had  gone  only  a  few  rods  when  a  whoop  from  the 
others  made  known  they  had  found  what  was 
wanted.  The  rest  immediately  turned  around 
and  joined  them. 

Jack  saw  at  once  that  the  means  were  provided 
for  passing  over  dry  shod.  A  tree,  some  six  or 
eight  inches  in  diameter,  lay  with  the  butt  on  one 
shore  and  the  upper  portion  on  the  opposite  bank. 
A  glance  showed  that  it  had  been  felled  by  the 
axe  of  some  pioneer,  who  probably  thus  formed  a 
bridge  for  himself  and  friends.  The  limbs  had 


64  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

been  trimmed  away,  and  the  abraded  bark 
proved  that  it  had  served  a  similar  purpose  for 
many  wild  beasts  in  passing  to  and  fro.  The 
faded  color  of  the  gashes  in  the  trunk  showed 
that  a  long  time  had  passed  since  the  bridge  was 
made  by  the  woodman's  axe. 

Nothing  better  could  be  required,  and  several 
grunts  of  satisfaction  escaped  the  warriors  during 
the  minute  they  stood  together  viewing  the  sup- 
port that  awaited  the  pressing  of  their  feet. 

Jack  Carleton  stepped  forward,  but  one  of  the 
Indians  grasped  his  arm  and  drew  him  back  so 
violently  as  almost  to  throw  him  to  the  ground. 
The  boy  looked  wonderingly  in  his  face,  and  saw 
that  it  was  aglow  with  passion.  He  shook  his 
head  rapidly  and  spoke  fast  and  furious. 

<£I  think  I  can  guess  what  you  mean,"  said 
Jack,  stepping  back,  so  as  to  allow  the  others  to 
precede  him,  "  and  I  will  now  await  your  com- 
mands." 

He  stood  still  until  three  had  gone  over,  when 
they  beckoned  him  to  follow.  Jack  had  noticed 
that  when  the  Indians  were  walking  on  the  log, 
they  were  obliged  to  move  carefully,  for  their  foot- 
hold  was  narrow  and  the  swift  running  current 


AN   INVOLUNTARY   BATH.  65 

was  apt  to  make  one  dizzy.  The  lad,  however, 
stepped  forward  without  hesitation  and  advanced 
slowly  but  with  certainty. 

The  three  warriors,  who  stood  lacing  him  on  the 
shore,  showed  that  like  Deerfoot  the  Shawanoe, 
they  possessed  a  certain  vein  of  waggery,  for  at 
the  moment  Jack  was  over  the  middle  of  the 
stream,  one  of  them  stooped,  and,  grasping  the 
head  of  the  trunk,  moved  it  quickly  fully  a  couple 
of  feet  to  the  right,  all  three  bursting  into  an 
audible  snicker  at  the  same  moment.  The  lad 
was  looking  downward,  meanwhile  stepping  care- 
fully, when  he  glanced  across  to  learn  the  meaning 
of  the  action,  the  stooping  Indian  being  in  his 
field  of  vision. 

Jack  understood  the  trick,  but  he  was  without 
the  means  of  defeating  it.  He  stooped  quickly 
with  the  intention  of  grasping  the  support  with 
both  hands,  but  before  he  could  do  so,  he  lost  his 
balance,  flung  his  arms  aloft,  and  down  he  went 
with  a  loud  splash  that  sent  the  spray  flying  in 
all  directions. 

No  audience  of  countrymen  ever  laughed  more 
heartily  at  the  ancient  jokes  of  a  clown  than  did 
the  five  Indians  when  the  boy  disappeared  under 


66  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

the  water,  his  eyes  staring  with  the  shock  of 
affright  which  came  with  his  sudden  contact  with 
the  current. 

Jack  was  a  capital  swimmer,  and  he  was  satis- 
fied there  was  no  wish  to  drown  him  ;  but  he  had 
scarcely  passed  below  the  surface,  when  it  occurred 
to  him  that  there  was  a  possibility  of  turning  the 
jest  upon  his  captors.  The  water  was  very  deep, 
and  he  kept  sinking  until  his  feet  softly  touched 
the  bottom.  As  he  gave  himself  the  slight  im- 
pulse which  sent  him  upward  again,  he  not  only 
swam  swiftly  with  the  rapid  current,  but  moved 
as  close  to  shore  as  possible,  and  began  creeping 
up  the  side  of  the  bank. 

In  doing  this,  he  over-estimated  his  own 
strength.  It  took  him  a  longer  time  to  reach  the 
surface  than  he  calculated  upon,  and  he  narrowly 
escaped  strangling  ;  but  he  resolutely  held  out  to 
the  last  second. 

At  the  moment  the  rushing  waters  seemed  to 
roar  through  his  brain,  his  crown  cleft  the  surface, 
and  he  drew  a  deep  inspiration  of  the  blessed  air  ; 
but,  even  in  that  trying  moment,  he  kept  his  self- 
possession,  and  the  breath  was  taken  so  softly  that 
no  ear  beside  his  own  knew  it. 


AN   INVOLUNTARY    BATH.  67 

He  had  emerged  close  to  shore  and  directly 
under  some  overhanging  brush,  which  was  not  so 
dense  as  he  could  wish,  since  he  was  able  to  see 
the  warriors  standing  on  the  land  and  looking  for 
him.  It  followed,  therefore,  that  if  they  should 
scrutinize  the  bank  very  closely  they  would  dis- 
cover him ;  but  the  boy's  hope  lay  in  their  lack 
of  suspicion  that  such  an  artifice  was  in  his 
mind. 

Several  circumstances  united  to  help  the  youth  ; 
the  water  was  roiled,  as  has  already  been  said, 
while  the  friction  of  the  swift  current  against  the 
shore  made  a  noise  which  overcame  the  slight 
ripple  caused  by  his  own  movements.  Only  his 
nose  and  eyes  were  kept  above  the  surface,  and 
the  shrubbery  which  inclosed  them  made  a 
tolerable  screen,  though  less  effective  than  he 
desired. 

Jack  had  landed,  as  may  be  said,  a  dozen  yards 
below  the  log  from  which  he  had  been  thrown  and 
on  the  side  from  which  he  set  out,  consequently 
he  was  opposite  the  five  Indians  who  stood  on  the 
shore.  He  was  led  to  do  this  from  a  natural 
desire  to  get  as  far  away  as  he  could  from  his 
captors,  but  it  was  a  mistake  on  his  part,  for  had 


68  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

he  crawled  under  the  other  bank  he  would  have 
been  hidden  altogether  from  the  sight  of  the 
Indians. 

Holding  to  a  wire-like  root  with  his  left  hand, 
he  swung  around  so  as  to  face  up  stream,  and, 
through  the  slight  spaces  in  the  shrubbery 
kept  his  eyes  fixed  intently  on  the  brawny  red 
men. 

Very  soon  the  warriors  looked  at  each  other, 
and  talked  rapidly  and  with  growing  excitement. 
There  could  be  no  doubt  they  were  discussing  the 
unexpected  shape  matters  had  taken ;  the  joke 
played  on  their  captive  had  proven  a  very  serious 
matter  to  him.  It  must  have  been  that  the  pale- 
faced  youth  was  unable  to  swim  and  was  drowned. 
The  white  warrior  was  a  pappoose. 

"  By  and  by  they  will  make  search  for  me/' 
was  the  thought  of  Jack  Carleton,  still  retaining 
his  hold,  "and  then  will  come  the  tug  of  war. 
It  won't  be  the  live  boy  they'll  expect  to  find, 
but  his  dead  body,  bobbing  up  and  down  and 
back  and  forth,  and  yet  I  don't  see  why  they 
will  care  to  hunt  me  up." 

Whatever  might  be  the  issue,  Jack  was  war- 
ranted in  feeling  hopeful,  for  he  was  sure  the  in- 


AN   INVOLUNTARY    BATH.  69 

cident  had  taken  a  turn  entirely  unexpected  to  the 
warriors. 

"If  I  had  only  floated  a  little  further  down 
stream,"  he  thought  more  than  once,  noticing  a 
sharp  bend  made  by  .the  current,  "1  would,  have 
been  in  a  good  deal  better  situation  than  this, 
for  I  wr  -Id  have  been  out  of  their  sight  alto- 
gether." 

Several  times  he  was  on  the  point  of  letting  go 
and  dropping  further  down,  but  he  dreaded  some 
mistake  which  would  draw  attention  to  the  spot. 
If  he  should  try  to  swim  under  the  surface,  he 
might  be  forced  to  come  up  too  soon,  or  might 
strike  some  obstruction  in  the  stream  that  would 
fling  him  over  as  though  he  was  a  porpoise.  It 
was  the  fear  of  a  catastrophe  of  this  nature  which 
held  him  where  he  was,  while  he  peered  through 
the  shrubbery  like  some  wild  animal  glaring  out 
from  his  covert  upon  his  enemies. 

The  face  of  every  Indian  was  in  sight,  and  ho 
studied  the  expression  of  each  broad,  coppery 
countenance.  He  knew  they  were  talking  by  the 
movements  of  the  thin  lips,  and,  despite  the  noise 
of  the  rushing  stream,  he  heard  one  of  them  grunt 
several  times.  This  particular  warrior  was  shorter 


70  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

and  more  solidly  built  than  the  rest,  and  appeared 
to  be  some  kind  of  a  leader,  for  he  had  the  most 
to  say,  and  the  boy  noticed,  while  on  the  march, 
that  he  directed  the  actions  of  the  rest. 

This  Indian,  as  he  stood,  held  his  rifle  in  his 
right  hand,  while  the  thumb  of  his  left  was  hooked 
over  the  belt  at  his  waist,  which  supported  his 
knife  and  tomahawk.  His  stomach  protruded 
somewhat,  and,  when  he  spoke  in  his  sententious 
manner,  the  belt  would  rise  and  sink  in  a  spas- 
modic fashion  which  kept  time  with  his  words. 

Jack  kept  close  watch  of  the  black  eyes,  which, 
like  those  of  professional  hunters  and  scouts,  were 
never  at  rest.  They  flitted  hither  and  thither, 
up  and  down  stream  and  even  to  the  rear,  as 
though  danger  were  apprehended  from  that  direc- 
tion. 

What  the  boy  was  expecting  and  dreading  was 
a  search  on  the  part  of  the  Indians.  None  could 
know  better  than  they  how  brief  a  time  is  required 
for  a  person  to  drown,  and  they  were  not  long  in 
arriving  at  the  conclusion  that  the  boy  either  was 
dead,  or  had  left  the  stream  at  a  point  below. 
Three  savages  walked  hastily  over  the  creek  on 
the  log  and  began  moving  along  shore,  their  ser- 


AN    INVOLUNTARY   BATH.  71 

pent-like  eyes  scanning  every  foot  of  land  and 
water  that  came  in  their  field  of  vision.  At  the 
same  time,  the  other  two  did  the  same  from  the 
opposite  shore,  and  Jack  Carleton  knew  that  the 
crisis  had  come. 

He  felt  quite  secure  against  being  seen  by  the 
two  who  were  traveling  together,  for  he  was  able 
to  dispose  of  the  undergrowth  so  as  to  increase  its 
usefulness.  While  one  hand  held  fast  to  the 
tough  root,  he  softly  drew  down  the  bush  with 
the  other,  so  that  it  interposed  between  him  and 
the  couple  who  were  held  in  such  dread.  If  the 
others  should  step  to  the  edge  of  the  stream  and 
part  the  bushes,  it  would  be  all  up  with  the 
frightened  lad. 

The  necessities  of  the  case  forced  Jack  to  raise 
his  head  until  both  ears  were  above  the  surface, 
and  thus,  while  he  employed  his  eyes  to  follow  the 
movements  of  the  couple,  he  sought  to  use  his 
ears  to  discover  the  approach  of  the  trio,  though 
the  rushing  torrent  forbade  full  success  in  that 
respect. 

The  two  warriors  were  in  plain  sight  as  they 
slowly  picked  their  way  downward.  Jack  saw 
the  upper  parts  of  their  bodies,  and  his  heart 


72  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

throbbed  faster  when  they  faced  about  and  came 
down  to  the  edge  of  the  water.  However,  they 
were  still  several  yards  above  him,  so  that  he  was 
quite  certain  they  did  not  suspect  his  hiding- 
place.  When  they  halted  and  leaned  over  the 
stream,  the  fugitive  gave  no  thought  to  those  who 
were  undoubtedly  much  closer,  but  sank  until  only 
forehead,  eyes  and  nose  were  in  the  air,  while 
the  scanty  bush  was  drawn  still  closer  to  his 
face. 

All  at  once,  Jack's  heart  seemed  to  stand  still  ; 
he  saw  that  one  of  the  Indians  was  looking  straight 
at  the  spot  where  he  was  in  hiding.  The  black 
orbs  were  centered  upon  him  with  such  an  inquir- 
ing expression,  that  he  was  sure  he  had  been  dis- 
covered. All  hope  was  gone,  until  a  moment  after 
he  observed  that  the  savage  was  peering  at  the 
undergrowth  below  him,  as  though  suspicious  of 
everything  which  could  afford  any  sort  of  a  hiding- 
place. 

"He  didn't  see  me  after  all,"  was  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  delighted  boy,  "and  now  if  the  others 
let  me  alone,  I  shall  have  a  chance  to  give  them 
the  slip." 

Again  the  waists  and  shoulders  of  the  two  were 


AN   INVOLUNTARY    BATH.  73 

observed  moving  slowly  among  the  trees  and  un- 
dergrowth, until  they  passed  out  of  sight,  a  con- 
siderable distance  below  the  crouching  fugitive. 
The  relief  of  the  latter  was  unspeakable,  though 
he  could  not  forget  that  other  foes  were  also  to  be 
avoided. 

But  minute  after  minute  passed,  and  still  Jack 
saw  and  heard  nothing  of  the  red  men.  With  each 
passing  minute  his  hopes  rose,  until  at  the  end  of 
half  an  hour,  he  felt  that  his  safety  was  well  nigh 
secured. 

"  They  have  concluded  I  was  drowned  and  my 
body  is  not  likely  to  come  to  the  surface  for  some 
time — anyway  not  until  it  is  a  long  way  from  this 
spot.  If  they  don't  return,  I'm  safe." 

But  a  thrill  of  alarm  passed  through  him  more 
than  once,  when  he  recalled  that  the  strategy  he 
had  employed  was  of  such  a  simple  nature  that  it 
ought  to  suggest  itself  to  the  red  men.  If  such 
was  the  case  they  would  be  certain  to  return  to 
the  fallen  tree,  renew  their  search,  and  prosecute 
it  with  greater  care. 

It  was  the  dread  of  the  latter  which  led  Jack  to 
creep  carefully  out  of  the  stream,  after  he  had 
been  in  hiding  perhaps  half  an  hour.  Of  course 
4 


74  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

his  clothing  was  saturated,  and  he  had  become 
chilled  from  his  long  submersion,  so  that  his  teeth 
rattled,  and  he  trembled  in  every  limb.  Extended 
flat  on  the  ground,  he  crawled  with  the  utmost 
care  until  a  couple  of  rods  from  the  water.  Then 
he  stopped  and  listened.  He  was  so  far  from  the 
stream  that  its  noise  did  not  prevent  him  detect- 
ing any  slight  noise  which  might  have  been  made 
by  some  other  cause,  but  he  heard  nothing  at 
all. 

There  was  still  considerable  undergrowth  around 
him,  so  that  he  felt  screened  from  the  observation 
of  any  other  Indians  wandering  in  the  vicinity. 

"  They  thought  they  were  very  cunning/'  mut- 
tered Jack,  with  a  chuckle,  "  when  they  tumbled 
me  into  the  water,  but  I  played  a  trick  on  them 
worth  two  of  their  kind.  I  only  wish  there  was 
some  way  of  letting  them  know  how  completely  I 
have  outwitted  their: " 

A  cold  shiver  passed  down  the  spine  of  Jack 
Carleton,  when  he  distinctly  heard  a  guttural, 
grunting  laugh  behind  him.  Turning  like  a  flash, 
he  saw  the  five  Indian  warriors  from  whom,  up  to 
that  moment,  he  had  believed  he  was  free,  stand- 
ing within  a  rod,  and  all  grinning  to  an  extent 


AN   INVOLUNTARY    BATH.  75 

that  seemed  to  take  the  corners  of  their  mouths 
around  to  their  ears. 

The  truth  broke  upon  Jack  :  the  red  men  had 
never  lost  sight  of  him,  except  for  the  moment  he 
was  under  the  water.  They  knew  where  he  was 
when  he  supposed  himself  invisible,  and  they  had 
been  amusing  themselves  at  his  expense. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

TWO  VISITORS. 

the  evening  succeeding  the  departure  of 
Jack  Carleton  and  Otto  Eelstaub  from  the 
little  settlement  of  Martinsville,  the  widowed 
mother  of  Jack  was  seated  by  her  fireside  engaged 
in  knitting.  The  night  was  cold,  and  the  huge 
sticks  of  wood  were  roaring  and  crackling  in  the 
broad  fireplace,  and  throwing  a  cheerful  glow  and 
warmth  through  the  room.  The  tallow  candle 
on  the  mantel  had  not  been  lit,  for  there  was  no 
need  of  it,  and,  despite  the  loneliness  and  poverty 
of  the  sad-faced  woman,  there  was  an  air  of  neat- 
ness and  comfort  about  her  home  which  .would 
have  tempted  any  one  who  could  look  through  the 
narrow  window  into  the  homely,  old-fashioned 
apartment. 

The  deft  fingers  flew  back  and  forth  as  regularly 
as  the  most  delicate  machinery,  until  all  at  once 
the  lady  stopped  and  allowed  her  hands  to  rest  in 


TWO   VISITORS.  77 

her  lap.  At  the  same  moment  a  sigh  escaped  her, 
and  she  looked  into  the  glowing  embers. 

It  was  not  hard  to  guess  where  her  thoughts 
were ;  tliey  were  with  that  only  child  who  had 
gone  forth  in  the  woods  to  help  the  German  lad 
look  for  the  missing  horse.  Mrs.  Carleton  smiled 
as  she  reflected  upon  a  certain  absurdity  which 
marked  the  whole  business,  for,  look  at  it  as  she 
chose,  there  was  something  grotesque  in  the  pro- 
ject of  two  youths  setting  out  to  hunt  for  a  horse 
that  had  been  wandering  for  days  in  a  limitless 
wood.  But  the  smile  quickly  gave  way  to  the  serious 
expression  which  not  often  left  the  face  of  the  mo- 
ther since  that  awful  night  when  her  husband  was 
stricken  down  by  the  fierce  red  men  of  Kentucky. 

"  I  trust  God  will  not  forget  my  boy/'  were  the 
almost  inaudible  words  that  came  to  her  lips. 
"He  has  wonderfully  preserved  him  through 
many  perils,  and  my  heart  misgives  me  now  that 
I  allowed  him  to  go  from  under  my  roof/' 

Just  then  the  latch-string  was  spitefully  pulled, 
the  door  was  pushed  inward,  and  Jacob  Kelstaub 
entered.  The  angry  man  was  short  of  stature, 
clumsily  dressed,  and  the  only  weapon  he  carried 
was  a  heavy,  knotted  cane,  if  that  may  be  termed 


78  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

such,  which  was  his  companion  when  moving 
about  the  sparse  settlement.  It  has  already  been 
said  that  he  was  parsimonious,  cross-grained,  and 
cruel-hearted,  and  he  had  been  in  specially  ill- 
temper  since  the  return  of  his  boy  without  the 
horse  upon  which  so  much  value  was  set. 

The  door  swung  to  of  itself,  and  the  German, 
stopping  short  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  banged 
his  cane  upon  the  floor,  and,  looking  savagely  at 
the  quiet  lady  who  had  nodded  and  bidden  him 
good  evening,  demanded  : 

"  Yere  is  mine  poy,  Otto  ?  " 

"  Don't  you  know  ?  "  asked  the  widow  in  re- 
turn, with  a  tone  of  surprise. 

"  No,  I  does  not ;  he  says  he  goes  off  mit  your 
poy,  but  dey  both  lies — don't  it  ?  " 

"  My  boy  never  tells  a  falsehood,"  was  the  quiet 
response  of  Mrs.  Carle  ton,  whose  pale  cheek  slight- 
ly flushed.  "Your  Otto  told  the  truth  as  you 
well  know.  Not  only  that,  but  he  only  obeyed 
you  when  he  went  out  in  the  woods  to  run  into  all 
kinds  of  danger  in  search  of  an  animal  which  I  do 
not  believe  can  possibly  be  found." 

"  All  poys  ish  bad/'  said  the  visitor  with  an 
impatient  sniff,  as  he  took  off  his  cap  and  slouched 


TWO    VISITORS.  79 

to  a  chair  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  fire.  "  Your 
poy  ish  badder  dan  any  oder  poy  ;  mine  Otto  is 
lazy,  and  if  lie  doesn't  pring  pack  dot  horse  I  vill 
pounds  him  till  he  don't  live." 

"  He  may  never  come  back,"  said  the  lady  in  a 
low,  impressive  voice  which  would  have  moved 
anyone  else,  but  it  was  lost  on  the  boorish  visitor. 

"  Hoof !  No  fear  of  dot ;  he  alvays  comes  back 
ven  ve  doesn't  vant  him  to  come  back." 

"Well,"  said  Mrs.  Carleton  with  a  sigh,  "  I  am 
sorry  I  let  Jack  go,  for  if  he  had  insisted  on  stay- 
ing home  your  boy  would  have  done  the  same, 
though  if  I  was  in  Otto's  place  I  would  consider 
the  woods,  with  all  their  dangers  and  sufferings, 
preferable  to  living  with  a  parent  who  is  as  un- 
feeling as  you." 

Jacob  Belstaub  had  both  of  his  horny  hands 
folded  over  the  top  of  his  heavy  cane,  which  rested 
on  the  floor  between  his  large  shores,  while  his  cap, 
somewhat  resembling  the  peaked  headgear  of  his 
boy,  lay  beside  him.  His  broad,  ill-favored  coun- 
tenance was  darkened  by  a  frown,  and  it  was  easy 
for  the  lady  to  see  that  the  fellow  still  doubted 
her  word.  His  manner  of  looking  about  the  large 
room,  and  a  habit  of  listening  intently,  as  though 


80  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

he  expected  to  bear  approaching  footsteps,  showed 
that  he  suspected  Otto  was  hiding  somewhere  in 
the  cahin.  Mrs.  Carleton  understood  his  feelings 
and  she  was  annoyed  to  anger,  for  her  sensitive 
nature  felt  the  insult  keenly.  Beside,  she  despised 
the  coarse  nature  of  the  man  who  seemed  so  to- 
tally lacking  in  humanity. 

The  lady  was  on  the  point  of  reproving  him 
with  sharp  word&,  when  Loth  were  astonished  by 
a  gentle  knock  on  the  door,  such  a  hail  being  con- 
trary to  all  the  rules  of  the  frontier,  when  the 
latch-string  is  not  drawn  in.  Both  looked  quickly 
toward  the  entrance,  and  the  lady  raised  her  voice 
and  said : 

"  The  latch-string  is  out  !  " 

The  words  were  yet  on  her  lips  when  it  was 
pulled,  and  the  door  swung  inward. 

The  firelight  fell  upon  the  figure  of  an  Indian 
warrior,  who  stopped  on  the  threshold  as  if  he 
doubted  whether  he  would  be  welcome  when  those 
within  saw  him.  As  he  stood  with  the  blank 
darkness  behind  him  and  the  crimson  glow  from 
the  burning  logs  lighting  up  the  front  of  his  body, 
he  formed  a  most  striking  picture. 

He   was   the    ideal    of    symmetry   and   manly 


TWO    VISITORS.  81 

beauty — one  of  those  productions  of  the  American 
race  which  are  very  rare,  but  which,  when  seen,  are 
the  nearest  approach  to  physical  and  mental  per- 
fection that  is  ever  attained  in  this  world.  He 
was  about  five  feet  ten  inches  in  height,  and  with 
body  and  limbs  in  as  perfect  proportion  as  the 
chisel  of  Phidias  ever  carved  from  marble.  Even 
his  long,  black  hair,  which  hung  luxuriantly  and 
loosely  about  his  shoulders,  was  of  softer  texture 
than  is  the  rule  with  his  people.  Several  stained 
eagle  feathers  slanted  upward  and  outward  from 
the  crown,  and  a  double  row  of  brilliant  beads  en- 
circled his  neck.  A  fine  gold  bracelet  clasped  his 
left  wrist,  and  the  deer-skin  hunting  shirt  and  leg- 
gings were  clean,  and  of  the  finest  possible  make. 
They  retained  their  dull,  yellow  hue,  but  the  girdle 
which  clasped  his  body  at  the  waist  was  of  a  red 
color,  so  bright  that  it  seemed  likely  to  attract  dan7 
gerous  attention  in  the  forest.  The  leggings  were 
fringed,  and  the  delicate  moccasins  were  also  orna- 
mented with  colored  beads.  The  heavy  blanket 
which  he  carried  during  severe  weather  was  lack- 
ing, for  it  would  have  been  only  an  encumbrance 
when  the  climate  was  mild. 

Into  the  girdle  were  thrust  a  tomahawk  and 


82  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

hunting  knife,  while  a  long  bow  was  carried  in  his 
right  hand,  and  a  quiver  full  of  arrows  rested  be- 
hind his  right  shoulder,  where  they  could  be 
snatched  forth  on  the  instant.  The  youthful 
warrior  carried  no  firearms,  for  he  depended  alone 
on  the  primitive  weapons  which  his  people  had 
used  for  centuries. 

Splendid  as  were  the  frame  and  limbs  of  the 
youth,  the  greatest  attraction  lay  in  his  counte- 
nance. His  features  were  classical  in  their  regu- 
larity, excepting  the  nose,  which  was  just  enough 
aquiline  to  give  character  to  his  face,  and  take 
away  the  femininity  which  otherwise  might  cling 
to  it. 

When  he  smiled  in  his  faint,  shadowy  fashion, 
his  teeth  were  seen  to  be  small,  white,  regular, 
and  without  the  slightest  defect,  while  the  lustrous 
black  eyes  glowed  with  light  and  feeling.  Having 
closed  the  door  behind  him,  he  still  hesitated  to 
advance  until  assured  he  was  welcome. 

Although  Mrs.  Carleton  had  never  seen  him 
before,  she  was  certain  of  his  identity,  and,  rising 
from  her  seat,  she  asked  : 

"  Are  you  Deerfoot  the  Shawanoe  ?  " 

He  smiled  and  inclined  his  head. 


TWO   VISITORS.  83 

"  You  are  the  friend  of  my  boy,  and  of  Otto, 
the  son  of  Mr.  Relstaub.  There  is  no  one  in  the 
world  who  could  be  more  welcome  than  you. 
Come  forward  and  take  a  seat  nearer  the  fire." 

The  dusky  countenance  flushed  with  pleasure, 
for  the  words  were  warmer  than  he  was  accustom- 
ed to  hear. 

Deerfoot  advanced  a  couple  of  steps,  and, 
reaching  over,  drew  the  rude  stool  to  him.  His 
diffidence  would  not  allow  him  to  go  very  near  the 
blaze. 

When  Jacob  Relstaub  heard  the  name  pro- 
nounced, he  uttered  an  angry  sniff  and  banged 
his  cane  upon  the  floor.  He  said  nothing ;  but 
he  detested  the  handsome  Indian  youth,  whom 
he  had  driven  from  his  door  when  he  asked  for 
shelter,  and  he  knew  he  had  been  the  companion 
of  his  boy  on  the  stirring  journey  from  Kentucky 
to  Louisiana.  It  mattered  not  that  the  masterful 
woodcraft  of  the  dusky  friend  had  saved  the  life 
of  Otto  Eelstaub ;  all  that  the  German  remem- 
bered was  that  the  valuable  horse  was  lost,  and 
he  blamed  this  Indian  for  it,  as  he  censured  Jack 
Carleton  for  the  same  misfortune.  The  man, 
however,  said  nothing  for  a  few  minutes. 


84  CAMP-FIKE   AND   WIGWAM. 

It  was  manifest  from  the  manner  of  Deerfoot 
that  he  was  disappointed  because  he  did  not  meet 
Jack  Carleton.  He  cast  but  a  single  glance 
around  the  apartment,  which  showed  him  his 
young  friend  was  not  present ;  then,  as  he  gently 
seated  himself,  he  looked  into  the  pale  face  of  the 
widow  and  said : 

"  Deerfoot  sees  not  his  brother." 

"  No  ;  Jack  and  Otto  set  out  on  a  long  hunt 
this  morning.  They  may  be  back  in  a  few  days 
and  perhaps  not  for  a  fortnight." 

"Have  they  gone  to  look  for  the  horse  that  was 
lost  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  lady,  with  a  smile  ;  "  I 
am  ashamed  to  say  they  have ;  but  I  ask  your 
pardon  ;  have  you  had  supper  ?  Will  you  not 
permit  me  to  give  you  to  eat  ?  " 

She  was  about  to  rise  when  Deerfoot,  who  was 
resting  his  bow  on  the  floor,  while  he  grasped  the 
center  as  though  it  was  a  cane,  motioned  with  his 
left  hand  for  her  to  retain  her  seat. 

"  The  mother  of  my  friend  is  good  and  kind, 
but  Deerfoot  cannot  eat." 

He  appeared  to  be  on  the  point  of  saying  some- 
thing more,  but  restrained  himself.  The  mother 


TWO   VISITORS.  85 

was  quick  to  perceive  it,  and  a  pang  of  dread 
stirred  her  heart. 

"  What  were  you  about  to  say  ?  "  she  asked, 
in  her  abrupt  fashion,  suspending  the  knitting 
which  she  was  in  the  very  act  of  resuming. 

Deerfoot  was  too  truthful  to  deceive  her  out- 
right ;  but  it  is  fair  to  presume  he  did  not  say  all 
that  was  in  his  thoughts. 

"  Deerfoot  is  sorry  his  brothers  have  gone  to 
look  for  the  horse." 

"  Why  ?  "  quickly  asked  the  mother. 

"  They  cannot  find  him." 

"  Vy  don't  they  finds  him  ?  "  asked  Jacob  Rel- 
staub,  banging  his  cane  again  and  glaring  fiercely 
at  the  youth,  as  though  ready  to  spring  upon 
him. 

Deerfoot  looked  calmly  in  the  forbidding  counte- 
nance, and  asked,  more  directly  than  was  his 
custom  : 

"  Are  you  the  father  of  my  brother,  Otto  ?  " 

"  Yaw  ;  of  course  I  ish.  He  is  one  pad  poy,  as 
you  ish  de  wust  Injin  dot  effer  vasn't." 

Without  the  least  visible  excitement,  and  in 
the  same  deliberate. monotone,  Deerfoot  still  look- 
ing him  straight  in  the  face  : 


86  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

"  The  father  of  Otto  is  a  dog  ;  he  has  no  heart. 
The  Great  Spirit  hides  his  face  with  shame  when 
he  looks  upon  him." 

"  VAT  ! "  roared  Jacob,  half  rising  to  his  chair 
and  grasping  his  knobby  cane  with  both  hands, 
while  he  trembled  with  rage.  "  You  don't  speak 
dot  vays  to  me  and  I  breaks  your  head." 

He  suddenly  straightened  up,  and  all  aglow  with 
fury  advanced  upon  Deerfoot,  who  placed  his  left 
hand  on  his  knife,  quietly  arose  and  faced  him, 
without  speaking. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A     SURPRISE. 

TACOB  EELSTAUB  was  so  accustomed  to 
the  undisturbed  abuse  of  his  son  that  he 
was  struck  almost  speechless  by  the  calm  defiance 
of  the  Indian  youth.  When  he  saw  the  latter 
place  his  hand  on  the  knife  at  his  girdle,  the  Ger- 
man could  not  fail  to  know  its  meaning.  He 
stopped  short  with  his  cane  half  raised  and 
glared  savagely  at  Deerfoot. 

lf  You  means  to  kills  me,  eh,  don't  it  ?  Yaw, 
— I  sees, — I  sees  !" 

And  shaking  his  head  very  fast,  and  muttering 
some  vigorous  words  in  his  own  language,  he 
stamped  towards  the  door,  swung  it  open  and 
passed  out  in  the  darkness.  Deerfoot  stood  mo- 
tionless, looking  in  the  direction  whence  he  had 
vanished,  and  then,  without  a  word,  sat  down  on 
the  rude  chair  and  looked  toward  Mrs.  Carleton, 
seated  as  she  was  near  the  fire. 

The  good  lady  was  terrified,  but  the  incident 


88  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

was  so  brief  that  it  was  over  before  she  fairly  un- 
derstood its  full  meaning  and  the  ill-natured 
caller  was  gone. 

"He  is  such  a  bad-tempered  man  that  I'm 
afraid  he  will  hurt  you  for  this,"  said  she,  step- 
ping hastily  to  the  door,  where  she  drew  in  the 
latch-string,  thus  locking  the  humble  cabin 
against  intruders.  When  she  sat  down,  with  her 
scared  look  and  IKT  words  of  misgiving  on  her 
lips,  Deerfoot  looked  from  the  crackling  fire  into 
her  countenance.  As  the  yellow  glow  lit  up  his 
handsome  features,  they  showed  the  faintest  pos- 
sible smile,  which  vanished  the  same  moment  it 
appeared.  The  matchless  redskin  must  have  ap- 
preciated the  grim  humor  involved  in  the  thought 
of  his  feeling  any  fear  of  the  curmudgeon  who 
had  just  gone. 

Previous  to  that  the  young  Shawanoe  had 
glanced  around  the  cabin,  and  like  another  Hou- 
diu,  impressed  every  point  in  his  memory.  He 
noted  the  narrow  windows  through  which  a  hostile 
shot  could  be  fired  from  the  outside.  He  did  not 
believe  the  late  visitor  would  proceed  to  that 
length,  but  he  shifted  his  seat  to  a  point  several 
feet  away,  where,  if  Relstaub  relied  on  his  pre- 


A   SURPRISE.  89 

vious  knowledge  for  his  aim,  no  possible  harm 
could  be  done. 

Deerfoot  made  his  change  in  such  a  quiet 
fashion,  that  his  hostess  had  not  the  slightest  sus- 
picion of  its  meaning.  She  saw  that  he  had  sim- 
ply moved  closer  to  the  fire.  The  space  between 
her  own  chair  and  that  of  the  visitor  was  such 
that  there  was  no  call  for  her  to  change  her  loca- 
tion :  had  there  been  the  slightest,  Deerfoot 
would  not  have  permitted  her  to  wait. 

"  My  brother  will  hurt  no  one,"  said  he  in  his 
quiet  fashion  :  "  he  is  a  bad  man  ;  he  has  a  good 
boy,  Otto;  Deerfoot  calls  him  his  brother,  and 
will  do  much  for  him  ;  but  Deerfoot  does  not  like 
his  father." 

"  I  was  so  afraid  he  would  strike  you  with  his 
cane,"  said  the  lady,  still  trembling  over  the  re- 
membrance, "  and  then  you  would  have  used  your 
knife." 

The  smile  was  more  pronounced  than  before, 
but  the  words  were  scarcely  audible. 

"lie  could  not  hurt  Deerfoot  and  Deerfoot 
would  not  hurt  him." 

The  lady  fully  understood  his  meaning,  and  it 
lifted  a  great  fear  from  her  heart  that  Jacob  Rel- 


90  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

staub  would  return,  demand  admittance,  and  at- 
tack her  guest.  True,  lie  might  do  so,  but  she 
saw  that  in  such  an  event  the  results  would  be 
farcical  rather  than  tragical. 

Deerfoot  did  not  care  to  give  any  further 
thought  to  the  despicable  man.  He  had  come  to 
the  settlement  to  visit  Jack  Carleton  and  Otto 
Kelstaub,  and  found  they  were  absent  on  a  singu- 
lar hunt  for  the  horse  that  had  been  missing  fully 
a  week.  His  interest  lay  in  them,  and  especially 
in  Jack.  He  had  heard  most  of  the  facts  from 
the  mother,  but  he  now  questioned  her  further  in 
his  gentle  way  until  not  a  particle  of  information 
was  left  for  her  to  give. 

The  substance  of  that  information  has  already 
been  told  the  reader, — it  being  nothing  more  than 
the  statement  of  their  departure  early  that  morn- 
ing. The  startling  events  which  followed  could 
not  be  suspected  by  the  parent,  who  sat  so  quietly 
knitting  and  talking  with  the  remarkable  Indian 
youth  on  the  other  side  of  her  hearthstone,  as 
ignorant  as  she  of  the  alarming  situation  in  which 
both  were  placed. 

But  while  so  quiet  in  his  demeanor,  the  won- 
derful brain  of  the  youth  was  always  busy  during 


A    SURPRISE.  91 

his  waking  hours.  He  could  not  feel  that  there 
was  cause  for  fear  on  account  of  his  friends,  for, 
as  has  already  been  shown,  that  portion  of  the 
enormous  territory  of  Louisiana  was  peopled  by 
Indians  much  less  vicious  in  their  hatred  than 
were  those  who  made  Kentucky  their  hunting- 
ground.  A  fierce  party  of  Shawanoes  had  fol- 
lowed the  little  party  across  the  Mississippi  the 
previous  week,  and  they  kept  matters  moving  in  a 
very  lively  manner,  as  the  reader  learned  long 
ago  ;  but  it  was  not  to  be  supposed  that  any  of 
those  daring  and  skillful  warriors  were  in  the 
neighborhood,  for  it  was  not  conceivable  that  a 
cause  existed  for  their  presence. 

But  a  singular  distrust  took  possession  of  Deer- 
foot.  He  could  not  account  for  it,  except  as  he 
accounted  for  all  inexplainable  things,  as  being 
the  direct  prompting  of  the  Great  Spirit.  Many 
a  time  the  instinctive  belief  had  come  over  him, 
and  he  had  never  failed  to  follow  its  guidance  ;  the 
result  in  each  instance  proved  that  he  did  right, 
and  he  resolved  to  do  the  same  in  the  present 
case,  though  it  will  be  seen  that  he  could  take  no 
real  step  forward  until  the  coming  of  daylight. 

"  You  will  stay  here  until  morning,"  said  Mrs. 


92  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

Carle  ton,  looking  into  the  face  of  her  visitor  and 
speaking  as  though  the  matter  was  not  at  all  in 
the  nature  of  a  question. 

"Deerfoot  may  stay  awhile,  though  he  would 
rather  sleep  in  the  woods,  where  he  can  breathe 
the  cool,  pure  air,  and  look  at  the  stars,  and  listen 
to  the  whispers  of  the  Great  Spirit  who  watches 
over  him  when  he  is  asleep  or  awake." 

"  You  can  sleep  on  Jack's  bed,  and  he  will  be 
pleased,  when  he  comes  home,  to  learn  that  you 
did  so,  though  l»e  will  be  sorry  that  he  was  not 
here  to  make  you  welcome." 

The  Indian  shook  his  head.  He  had  no  wish  to 
lie  on  •'any  such  couch,  and  he  had  not  done  so 
since  he  was  wounded  and  a  prisoner  in  the  hands 
of  the  white  people. 

"  Deerfoot  will  sit  here  and  read  until  he  be- 
comes weary  ;  then  he  will  lie  on  the  floor  ;  and 
when  he  awakes  he  will  seek  his  brothers  who 
are  hunting  for  the  horse  that  has  long  been 
lost." 

Mrs.  Carleton  had  been  told  by  Jack  how  skill- 
fully Deerfoot  could  read  and  write,  and  she  now 
ventured  the  hope  that  he  would  use  the  Bible 
which  lay  on  the  table  at  the  side  of  the  cabin. 


A   SURPRISE.  93 

She  was  on  the  point  of  rising  to  get  it  for  him, 
when  he  motioned  her  to  keep  her  seat. 

"  Deerfoot  has  his  Bible  with  him." 

And  then  he  drew  the  tiny  volume  with  its 
wooden  covers  from  the  interior  pocket  of  his 
hunting-shirt,  and  shifted  his  position  so  that  his 
back  was  turned  toward  the  fire,  whose  glow 
passed  over  his  shoulders  and  fell  upon  the 
printed  page.  This  gave  him  all  the  light  he 
needed,  and,  after  rustling  the  leaves  for  a  mo- 
ment, he  began,  in  his  low,  sweet*monotone. 

As  may  be  supposed,  he  selected  one  of  the 
chapters  from  Kevelation,  overflowing  as  it  does 
with  the  most  impressive  grandeur  and  awe-in- 
spiring glimpse  of  the  mysterious  life  from  whose 
portals  no  human  being  has  ever  turned  back  to 
whisper  to  the  vast  procession  waiting  to  follow 
in  his  footsteps. 

Mrs.  Carleton  saw  that  Deerfoot  did  not  like 
her  words  of  compliment  and  she  therefore  re- 
frained. When  he  had  finished,  he  closed  the 
book  and  laid  it  away  where  he  always  carried  it, 
and  then  the  conversation  went  on  in  the  same 
vein  as  before. 

But  the  hour  was  later  than  that  to  which  the 


94  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

good  lady  was  accustomed,  and,  despite  the  sin- 
gular interest  of  the  interview,  she  began  to  feel 
a  slight  drowsiness.  When  she  placed  her  hand 
over  her  mouth  and  yawned,  Deerfoot  asked  that 
she  should  retire.  She  consented,  and  bade  him 
good-night  and  withdrew. 

He  sat  motionless  until  he  was  alone,  when  he 
once  more  drew  out  his  Bible  and  resumed  read- 
ing. The  fire  having  smoldered,  he  stirred  the 
sticks,  turning  the  unburned  ends  among  the 
coals,  so  that  in  a  few  moments  the  small  room 
was  filled  with  a  brighter  illumination  than  be- 
fore. Leaning  backward  with  the  book  in  front 
of  his  face  and  his  shapely  legs  extended  in  front, 
he  studied  with  an  interest  more  absorbing  than 
was  ever  felt  by  the  most  devout  novel  reader. 
He  seemed  to  lose  all  consciousness  of  time  and 
place,  and  pored  over  the  volume  which  to  him 
was  more  precious  than  any  treasure  it  is  possible 
for  the  mind  to  conceive. 

By-and-by  the  fire  burned  low  again  and  the 
light  grew  dim.  Though  the  youth  might  have 
continued  the  perusal  much  longer,  he  finally 
ceased  and  put  the  book  away  for  the  night. 
Then,  folding  his  arms,  he  looked  into  the  smol- 


A   SURPRISE.  95 

dering  embers  before  him.  Every  one  knows  how 
such  a  scene  feeds  the  fancy  and  how  imagination 
will  run  riot,  while  sitting  alone  late  at  night, 
with  the  wind  moaning  outside,  while  he  watches 
the  curious,  grotesque,  and  endless  procession  of 
figures  which  take  shape  and  action  before  him. 
No  one  but  Deerfoot  himself  could  tell  what 
thoughts  took  shape  in  his  brain,  but  they  must 
have  been  of  a  melancholy,  serious  nature,  for  he 
drew  a  deep  sigh,  muttered  a  few  words  in  prayer, 
and  then  deliberately  lay  down  in  the  middle  of 
the  floor.  He  lay  on  his  side,  with  his  arm 
doubled  under  his  head  for  a  pillow,  but  had 
nothing  but  the  hard  planking  beneath  and  noth- 
ing except  his  own  clothing  above. 

Deerfoot  required  little  sleep,  and  within  less 
than  two  hours  after  he  had  lain  down,  he  opened 
his  eyes  and  assumed  the  sitting  position.  The 
fire  had  burned  so  low  that  only  a  slight  glow 
filled  a  part  of  the  room,  and  he  looked  like  some 
odd  shadow,  when  he  stepped  silently  forward  and 
stirred  the  embers  until  they  once  more  lit  up  the 
apartment.  It  was  not  yet  morning,  but  he  had 
concluded  to  wait  no  longer.  He  therefore 
picked  up  his  bow  and  then,  without  making  the 


96  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

least  noise,  opened  and  closed  the  door  behind 
him. 

The  young  Shawanoe  stood  for  a  moment  when 
he  found  himself  in  the  clear  air  on  the  outside. 
It  was  a  bright  starlit  night,  and,  when  he 
glanced  reverently  upward  at  the  thousands  of 
blazing  orbs,  he  saw  that  it  still  lacked  two  hours 
of  daylight.  The  rude  cabins  were  dimly  out- 
lined, as  they  faced  each  other  in  two  irregular 
rows,  those  only  which  were  the  furthest  away 
being  invisible.  All  were  dark  and  silent  except- 
ing one.  He  noticed  the  gleam  of  light  from  the 
window,  and  thought  it  likely  that  some  one  was 
watching  by  the  bed  of  sickness  ;  but  the  thought 
had  hardly  come  to  him  when  he  recalled  that  it 
was  the  cabin  of  the  German  Relstaub,  who  had 
left  him  in  such  a  rage. 

Deerfoot  was  still  in  front  of  the  house  of  his 
friend,  when  the  door  of  the  cabin  opened  and  the 
short,  sturdy  figure  of  Jacob  Relstaub  was  out- 
lined against  the  blazing  fire  and  candle-lighfc 
behind  him.  The.  truth  was,  he  was  so  angered 
he  could  not  sleep  ;  he  had  tossed  about  until  his 
rage  became  ungovernable,  when  he  told  his  frau 
that  he  was  going  over  to  the  widow  Carleton's  to 


A   SURPRISE.  97 

chastise  the  rascally  redskin  that  had  dared  to 
insult  him  to  his  face.  The  wife  sought  to  dis- 
suade him,  but  he  was  too  angered  to  listen  to 
reason ;  and,  ordering  her  to  stay  in  bed,  he 
dressed,  caught  up  his  heavy  cane,  and  plunged 
from  the  door  of  his  home. 

Deerfoot  drew  back  until  sure  he  could  not  be 
seen,  when  he  calmly  awaited  the  approach  of  the 
irate  man.  The  latter  stamped  forward,  banging 
his  heavy  cane  on  the  ground  and  muttering  to 
himself: 

"  Yaw,  I  preaks  mine  cane  his  head  ofer — he 
talks  to  me — he  calls  me  a  rascal  und  efeiydings 
vot  I  vas.  I  shows  him " 

Just  then,  when  he  was  close  to  the  cabin,  a 
figure  emerged  from  the  darkness,  moving  as 
silently  as  if  it  was  a  section  of  the  gloom  itself, 
and  advancing  straight  toward  him.  It  was  the 
execrated  young  Indian,  grasping  his  long  bow  in 
his  right  hand,  and  holding  his  tomahawk  in  his 
left,  with  his  body  bent  and  his  head  thrust  for- 
ward. 

"  Oh,  mine  gracious  !  "  gasped  Jacob  Kelstaub, 
his  knees  shaking  and  his  staff  dropping  from  his 
trembling  hand,  "  it  ish  him  !  " 
5 


98  CAMP-FIRE  AND   WIGWAM. 

He  managed  to  twist  his  body  around,  so  as  to 
face  the  other  way,  and  then  he  broke  into  a  lum- 
bering run  for  his  cabin.  He  heard  the  sound  of 
the  swift  moccasins  behind  him,  and  he  ran  as 
never  before.  His  hat  flew  off,  and  odd  quirps  and 
pains  developed  themselves  here  and  there  in  his 
frame,  because  of  the  unusual  and  violent  exercise 
to  which  he  subjected  himself;  but  he  kept  for- 
ward, believing  it  was  his  only  hope.  Fortunate- 
ly the  run  was  brief,  but  when  he  reached  the 
threshold  he  was  in  the  last  stage  of  exhaustion. 
He  could  not  lift  his  foot  high  enough,  and  went 
sprawling  headlong  into  the  room,  with  a  crash 
that  startled  his  wife  almost  out  of  her  senses. 

Deerfoot  paused  a  moment  surveying  the 
wreck  and  ruin  he  had  caused,  and  then  quietly 
shoved  his  tomahawk  back  in  place.  He  had  ac- 
complished all  he  wished,  and  was  satisfied  His 
old  shadowy  smile  lingered  on  his  face  as  he 
turned  aside,  and,  making  his  way  between  the 
settlers'  cabins,  disappeared  in  the  woods. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

BY     THE     CAMP-FIRE. 

TACK  CARLETON  cried  in  the  bitterness  of 
^  vexation  and  disappointment.  After  his 
daring  attempt  to  get  away,  and  when  hope  was 
a-flutter  within  him,  he  awoke  to  the  fact  that 
his  captors  were  trifling  with  him.  He  surveyed 
the  array  of  gleaming  visages,  and  was  sure  that 
the  leader  indulged  in  a  distinct  wink  and  gro- 
tesque grimace,  as  expressive  of  his  views  of  the 
situation.  Inasmuch  as  not  one  of  the  red  men 
could  utter  a  syllable  of  English,  perhaps  it  was 
as  well  that  they  should  have  recourse  to  the  sign 
language.  Jack  himself  was  humiliated  beyond 
expression.  Finding  he  was  discovered,  he  had 
risen  to  his  feet  and  faced  his  captors  with  the 
best  grace  he  could,  and  that,  it  need  not  be  said, 
was  scant  indeed. 

The  Indians  grinned  and  grimaced  while  they 
walked  around  the  lad,  as  if  desirous  of  surveying 
him  from  different  points.  Jack  dashed  the  tears 


100  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

from  his  eyes,  and,  compressing  bis  lips,  braved 
it  out.  He  expected  some  indignity  would  be 
offered  him,  but  there  was  none.  This  curious 
scene  lasted  only  a  few  minutes,  when  the  Indians 
gave  the  youth  to  understand  that  the  journey 
westward  was  to  be  resumed.  He  was  motioned 
to  go  forward,  and  was  glad  enough  to  obey,  for 
his  saturated  clothes  and  his  highly  nervous  con- 
dition set  his  teeth  chattering  and  his  body  shak- 
ing as  if  with  the  ague. 

The  afternoon  was  well  along,  and  no  great  dis- 
tance could  be  passed  over  before  night.  Jack 
dreaded  their  arrival  at  the  Indian  village  before 
another  halt.  He  was  hopeful  that  in  the  still- 
ness and  darkness  of  night  he  would  gain  a  chance 
to  steal  away  from  his  captors,  while  the  chance 
of  doing  so  when  with  the  tribe  itself  would  be 
much  more  difficult. 

In  one  respect  the  wish  of  the  youth  was  grati- 
fied. The  party  tramped  along  in -Indian  file, 
without  the  slightest  pause,  until  the  darkness 
began  stealing  among  the  trees.  There  was  but 
the  single  warrior  in  front,  the  others  following 
the  lad.  Suddenly  the  leader  stooped  down  and 
paused.  He  was  so  close  to  Jack  that  evidently 


BY   THE    CAMP-T^rKE^  101 


he  meant  to  fling  him  over  his '  slioiflders,  and  tfie 
boy  barely  escaped  such  discomfiture.  The  others 
grinned  again,  and  then  the  party  appeared  to  fall 
apart  and  take  different  positions.  Two  vanished 
in  the  wood,  while  the  others  began  hastily  gather- 
ing dead  limbs  and  decayed  leaves.  It  seemed  to 
Jack  that  less  than  three  minutes  had  gone  by 
when  he  saw  the  dim  outlines  of  one  of  the  war- 
riors on  his  knees,  striking  the  flint  and  steel,  such 
as  the  pioneers,  and,  indeed,  all  persons,  used  in 
those  days.  The  little  lines  of  sparks  shot  back 
and  forth,  as  they  do  upon  the  swiftly  revolving 
emery  wheel  when  the  metal  is  pressed  against  it, 
and  in  a  twinkling  a  tiny  blaze  was  creeping 
among  the  little  pile  of  leaves  toward  the  top. 
The  twist  of  flame  darted  in  and  out  like  the 
crimson  tongue  of  some  serpent,  until  it  reached 
the  air  above,  and  in  a  very  few  minutes  a  roaring 
camp  fire  was  under  full  headway. 

Jack  saw  that  it  had  been  kindled  against  the 
shaggy  bark  of  an  oak  tree,  which  swept  upward 
like  a  sealed  chimney  until  lost  in  the  gloom 
above.  The  gleam  of  water  a  short  distance  off 
made  known  what  he  had  not  suspected  ;  a  stream 
— only  a  few  inches  in  depth  and  breadth — wound 


102  CAM?-FIBE  AND  WIGWAM. 

by  the  spot,  without  giving  forth  the  slightest 
ripple.  Water,  it  may  be  said,  is  indispensable  to 
such  an  encampment,  and  a  party  of  aborigines 
scarcely  ever  halts  at  night  without  being  near  it. 

As  the  glow  of  the  fire  spread,  it  fell  upon  the 
figures  of  the  warriors,  who  looked  grim  and  un- 
canny. Jack  folded  his  arms  and  stood  in  the  full 
glow,  as  though  seeking  a  bath  in  the  fire-light. 
But  for  his  recent  experience,  he  might  have  been 
tempted  to  make  a  dash  for  liberty ;  but  his 
clothing  was  still  wet  from  that  furious  essay,  and 
he  was  clearly  of  the  opinion  that  the  only  thing 
for  him  to  do  was  to  make  his  captors  believe  (if 
it  was  possible)  that  he  had  given  over  all  hope  of 
getting  away.  Could  he  lull  their  suspicion,  it 
would  be  a  most  important  point  accomplished ; 
but  the  youth  might  well  feel  misgivings  on  that 
point,  for  it  presupposed  a  stupidity  on  the  part 
of  the  Indians  contrary  to  what  he  knew  concern- 
ing them. 

It  must  not  be  thought  that  the  boy  believed 
he  could  make  the  warriors  think  he  was  content 
to  remain  their  prisoner ;  that  would  have  been 
the  height  of  absurdity  ;  but  he  did  seek  to  con- 
vince them  by  his  manner  that  he  had  given  up 


BY  THE   CAMP-FIRE.  103 

the  intention  of  running  away,  because  he  knew 
the  attempt  must  be  hopeless.  Having  failed  so 
completely,  he  was  not  foolish  enough  to  repeat 
the  essay,  when  he  was  likely  to  anger  the  Indians 
to  that  point  that  they  would  punish  him  for  it. 

It  will  be  understood,  therefore,  why  Jack 
Carleton  remained  standing  with  folded  arms, 
while  his  captors  were  busying  themselves  around 
him.  He  looked  at  the  flames  as  they  crept  up 
against  the  bark  and  scorched  the  rough  coat  of 
the  massive  oak,  and  he  noted  more  than  one  fur- 
tive glance  cast  toward  him.  He  pretended  to 
see  them  not,  but  stood  gloomy,  sorrowful,  and 
despairing. 

Suddenly  the  dull  crack  of  a  rifle  rang  out,  and 
Jack  started.  His  first  impression  was  that  a 
party  of  white  men  or  Indians  had  attacked  them, 
but  when  he  noticed  the  indifference  of  those 
around,  he  saw  his  mistake.  They  did  not  so 
much  as  look  to  the  right  or  left,  nor  make  any 
remark  to  each  other.  Evidently  they  expected 
something  of  the  kind. 

Within  the  space  of  five  minutes,  the  two  war- 
riors who  had  left  a  short  time  before,  reappeared. 
The  foremost  carried  his  rifle  at  a  trail  and  had 


104  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

no  game,  but  his  companion,  directly  behind  him, 
held  by  the  feet  a  large  wild  gobbler,  shot  but  a 
short  time  previous. 

Jack  Carleton  could  not  but  wonder  how  it'was 
this  dusky  hunter  was  able  to  secure  the  bird  on 
such  short  notice.  The  turkeys,  at  the  time  he 
started  to  look  for  them,  must  have  all  gone  to 
roost  among  the  trees.  The  gloom  was  such  that 
it  was  almost  impossible  for  the  keenest  eye  to 
distinguish  them.  They  may  have  given  some 
evidence  of  their  presence,  but  Jack  was  surprised 
over  the  success  of  the  red  men  in  obtaining  sup- 
per before,  as  may  be  said,  the  fire  could  be  made 
ready  to  roast  it. 

"  Otto  and  I  have  hunted  for  hours  in  Ken- 
tucky where  the  game  is  as  abundant  as  it  is  here, 
and  we  were  not  able  to  gain  the  first  shot  at 
any  sort  of  game.  There  must  be  some  secret 
about  this  performance  which  I  don't  understand, 
though  Deerfoot,  with  his  bow  and  arrow,  never 
failed  to  meet  with  the  same  success." 

The  American  Indian  is  by  no  means  fastidious 
in  his  tastes,  and  the  manner  in  which  they  handled 
the  game  would  hardly  have  satisfied  a  party  of 
modern  hunters.  Sometimes  the  red  man  half 


BY    THE    CAMP-FIRE.  105 

cooks  his  bird  without  bothering  himself  with 
plucking  out  the  feathers,  and  again  he  doesn't 
take  the  trouble  even  to  scorch  his  food.  In  the 
present  instance,  they  ripped  off  the  principal 
part  of  the  feathers,  removed  the  interior,  and 
cutting  the  framework  into  several  sections,  laid 
them  directly  on  the  coals  that  were  spread  out  to 
receive  them. 

They  began  the  broiling  or  scorching  operation 
at  once,  and  the  smell  of  the  burning  meat  was  of 
the  most  appetizing  nature.  Jack  caught  a  sniff 
and  it  literally  made  his  "mouth  water,"  for 
despite  his  unpleasant  situation,  his  appetite  was 
such  as  every  person  in  vigorous  health  is  certain 
to  feel  at  regular  intervals. 

"I  wonder  whether  they  mean  to  slight  me," 
he  suddenly  asked  himself  with  a  feeling  of  dis- 
may ;  "  if  they  do,  I  don't  know  what  will  become 
of  me,  for  I'm  sure  I  never  was  so  a-hungered  in 
all  my  life." 

But  I  hasten  to  say  that  the  disaster  which  the 
prisoner  feared  did  not  come  to  him.  Although 
the  bird  was  unusually  large,  two  or  three  of  the 
warriors  could  have  devoured  it  with  ease.  As  it 
was,  therefore,  it  afforded  rather  scant  rations  to 


106  CAMP-FIRE   AND    WIGWAM. 

the  company,  but  Jack  Carleton  was  remembered 
and  received  a  juicy  slice  of  the  game,  which  could 
not  have  tasted  better  had  it  been  hung  up  in  the 
cold  for  a  week  and  then  cooked  by  his  mother. 
Ah,  what  art  shall  ever  furnish  a  sauce  like 
that  of  hunger  itself!  The  meal  finished,  the 
party  disposed  of  themselves  for  the  night.  Their 
red  clay  pipes,  with  the  long  reeds  for  stems,  were 
produced,  filled  with  tobacco  and  lit  from  the  fire 
in  front  of  them.  The  blankets — which  were  any- 
thing but  clean — were  spread  out  on  the  ground 
and  their  owners  assumed  all  sorts  of  lazy  atti- 
tudes, puffed  their  pipes,  and  occasionally  grunted 
a  few  words  to  each  other. 

As  Jack  had  no  blanket  of  his  own  he  reclined 
on  the  leaves,  which  were  comfortable  as  he  could 
wish.  He  took  pains  to  place  himself  as  near  the 
camp  fire  as  he  could  bear,  so  as  to  show  his  cap- 
tors he  did  not  mean  to  attempt  to  get  away. 

Several  times  during  the  march  and  while  at 
supper,  Jack  heard  the  leader  addressed,  as  he 
believed,  by  name.  He  could  not  catch  the  pre- 
cise word,  but  it  sounded,  as  nearly  as  he  could 
tell,  like  "  Ogallah,"  which  of  itself  resembles  the 
name  of  a  tribe  of  western  Indians. 


BY    THE    CAMP-FIRE.  107 

Jack  waited  till  he  had  heard  it  again,  and 
then,  from  the  manner  in  which  it  was  spoken,  he 
was  convinced  it  was  the  real  name  of  the  leader 
of  the  party, — that  is  as  near  as  he  could  pro- 
nounce it. 

By  and  by  there  came  a  lull  in  the  disjointed 
conversation  ;  the  indolent  red  men  were  lolling  on 
their  blankets,  and  the  leader  was  sitting  cross- 
legged  like  a  Turk,  sending  rings  of  smoke  up- 
ward and  watching  them  as  they  curled  inward 
upon  themselves  and  climbed  out  of  sight.  The 
dimensions  of  his  mouth  were  that  ample  that  he 
could  have  done  the  same  on  either  side  of  the 
stem  without  removing  it  from  between  his  teeth. 

Jack  Carleton  looked  straight  at  him  for  a  few 
seconds,  and  then,  imitating  the  guttural  style  of 
those  around  as  best  he  could,  pronounced  in  a 
distinct  voice  the  single  word — 

"Ogallah!" 

At  that  moment  the  chin  of  the  chief  was  in  the 
air  and  a  procession  of  rings  were  tumbling  over 
each  other  as  they  hastened  from  between  his  lips. 
He  dropped  his  head  as  abruptly  as  if  some  one 
had  struck  him  in  the  throat,  and  with  his  mouth 
still  in  circular  shape  allowed  the  rings  to  go  to 


108  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

ruin,  while  he  stared  in  amazement  at  the  boy 
who  had  pronounced  his  name.  The  others 
showed  as  much  wonder  as  did  the  chieftain. 
They  also  stared  at  the  lad  and  then  gave  expres- 
sions to  their  feelings  in  their  guttural,  grunting 
fashion. 

It  was  quite  embarrassing  to  Jack  Carleton,  who 
blushed,  looked  confused,  and  then  tried  hard  to 
appear  as  though  he  did  not  feel  specially  proud 
over  his  performance.  Tho  leader  addressed  some 
words  to  him,  as  if  suspecting  he  understood  his 
language  after  all,  but  Jack  could  only  smile  and 
shake  his  head  to  signify  that  he  had  already  ex- 
hibited his  full  proficiency  in  the  tongue  of  his 
captors. 


CHAPTER  X. 

WAITING   AND    HOPING. 

TT  would  be  hard  to  measure  the  effect  of  the 
-*-  little  achievement  of  Jack  Carleton  upon  the 
Indians  who  held  him  captive.  He  had  pro- 
nounced the  name  of  the  chieftain  with  such 
clearness  that  every  one  recognized  it.  After  all 
it  was  no  great  exploit,  and  it  may  have  been  the 
red  men  feigned  a  goodly  portion  of  the  astonish- 
ment they  seemed  to  feel. 

Jack  did  not  make  any  more  essays  in  that 
direction,  and  a  few  minutes  later  the  vagabonds 
gave  their  principal  attention  to  their  pipes.  One 
of  them  gathered  an  armful  of  brush  and  flung  it 
on  the  fire  ;  and  another,  rising  to  his  feet,  turned 
his  back  toward  the  blaze  with  his  hands  together 
behind  him,  as  though  the  warmth  was  very  pleas- 
ant. While  he  stood  thus,  he  held  the  stem  of 
his  pipe  in  his  mouth  and  looked  absently  at  the 
boy,  who  could  not  see  the  face  of  the  red  man 
with  much  distinctness,  as  it  was  in  shadow. 


110  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

The  fuel  just  thrown  on  the  flames  increased  the 
warmth  to  such  a  degree  that  those  who  were  the 
nearest  shifted  their  position.  The  warrior  who 
was  on  his  feet  stepped  forward  a  single  pace,  and 
was  still  standing  in  his  idle  fashion  with  his 
hands  half  folded  behind  him,  when  a  spark  flew 
outward  with  a  snap,  and  dropped  down  the  neck 
of  the  unsuspicious  red  man.  When  he  felt  the 
burn,  like  the  thrust  of  a  big  needle,  he  sprang 
several  feet  in  the  air,  and  began  frantically  clutch- 
ing at  the  tormenting  substance.  The  second  or 
third  attempt  secured  the  spark,  which  clung  to 
his  hand,  burning  his  fingers  to  that  extent  that 
he  emitted  a  rasping  exclamation,  bounded  up- 
ward, and  by  a  particularly  vigorous  flirt  of  his 
hand  freed  it  of  the  spark,  which  then  expired  of 
itself. 

As  I  have  said,  no  man  has  less  humor  in  his 
composition  than  the  North  American  Indian,  and 
yet  it  is  not  by  any  means  lacking  in  him.  It  as- 
sumes odd  forms  at  times,  and  too  often  seems 
based  on  the  physical  suffering  of  some  person  or 
animal ;  but  in  the  instance  of  which  I  am  speak- 
ing, every  one  of  the  spectators  was  filled  with 
mirth.  The  laughter  shook  them  from  head  to 


WAITING   AND  HOPING.  Ill 

foot,  though  with  all  its  vigor  it  could  not  have 
been  heard  fifty  feet  away. 

Jack  Carleton  had  been  so  long  depressed  that 
something  like  a  reaction  came  over  him.  He 
threw  his  head  back  and  the  woods  rang  with  his 
hearty  mirth  as  they  never  rang  before.  If  there 
was  any  one  else  within  half  a  mile,  he  must  have 
wondered  what  all  the  uproar  meant. 

The  cause  of  this  amusement  conducted  him- 
self very  much  like  a  civilized  being.  When  he 
had  rubbed  the  blistered  spot  on  the  back  of  his 
neck  with  the  scorched  hand,  he  glared  angrily  at 
the  others,  as  if  he  saw  no  adequate  cause  for  the 
unusual  mirth  ;  then  when  it  broke  out  afresh,  he 
made  a  weak  attempt  to  join  in,  but  failing  to  do 
so,  he  sullenly  seated  himself  on  the  ground  and 
looked  as  glum  as  a  man  meditating  some  wicked 
deed. 

All  at  once,  he  turned  toward  Jack  Carleton 
with  such  a  fierce  scowl  that  the  boy  was  sobered. 
He  believed  with  reason  that  the  Indian  was  ready 
to  leap  upon  him  with  his  knife,  punishing  him 
in  that  dreadful  manner  for  the  provocation  he 
felt  toward  the  rest. 

"  I   guess   I   have  laughed   enough,"  was  the 


112  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

prudent  thought  of  the  boy,  who  straightway 
tried  to  look  as  if  he  sympathized  with  the  red 
man  for  his  slight  misfortune. 

Jack  could  not  tell  how  well  he  succeeded  in 
imparting  a  pitying  expression  to  his  countenance, 
but  all  disposition  to  laugh  at  the  warrior's  mishap 
had  departed,  and  it  is  not  improbable  that  the 
youth  owed  his  life  to  the  fact. 

Although  the  overflowing  mirth  soon  ended, 
there  were  a  number  of  smiles  on  the  faces  of 
the  warriors  for  a  long  time  afterward,  doubtless 
caused  by  the  remembrance  of  the  laughable  per- 
formance earlier  in  the  evening. 

As  the  halt  was  for  the  night,  the  boy  could 
hardly  suppress  his  curiosity  to  see  what  shape 
matters  would  take.  His  strong  hope  was  that 
he  would  be  allowed  to  lie  where  he  then  sat,  and 
that  none  of  the  warriors  would  arrange  it  so  he 
could  not  change  his  position  without  awaking 
him. 

It  looked  as  if  the  prayer  of  Jack  was  to  be 
granted.  More  wood  was  thrown  on  the  fire,  and 
the  Indians  took  but  a  brief  time  to  dispose  them- 
selves for  slumber.  The  pipes  were  laid  away, 
their  guns  examined,  and  each  placed  his  weapon 


WAITING    AND    HOPING.  113 

alongside  of  him,  as  though  it  was  his  intimate 
friend,  from  whose  body  he  expected  to  obtain  the 
warmth  to  keep  him  comfortable  through  the 
night.  The  savage  who  held  Jack's  gun  was  the 
only  silent  and  reserved  member  of  the  party. 
The  boy  had  heard  him  utter  less  than  half  a 
dozen  words  since  the  journey  began.  He  was 
shorter  and  more  squatty  than  the  others,  and 
his  whole  aim  in  life  appeared  to  be  a  desire  to 
please  Ogallah,  their  chief.  During  the  hilarity 
that  reigned  a  short  time  before,  he  had  grinned 
at  his  companion,  but  his  mirth  was  less  hearty 
than  that  of  the  rest. 

The  blankets  were  spread  out  on  the  leaves  to 
their  fullest  extent,  and  then  the  warriors  lay 
down,  with  their  backs  against  each  other  and 
their  moccasins  pointing  toward  the  fire.  Then 
the  covering  was  gathered  up  in  front  of  each  and 
flung  over  behind,  where  the  folds  interlapped,  all 
that  remained  visible  being  a  part  of  the  black 
hair  and  the  feathers  in  the  crowns  of  the  warriors, 
who  seemed  to  find  not  the  least  difficulty  in 
breathing  with  their  heads  swathed  and  bandaged 
up  like  a  wounded  limb. 

Two  couples  were  thus  formed,  who  were  sepa- 


114:  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

rated  by  the  space  of  six  or  eight  feet,  while  a  rod 
beyond  burned  the  camp-fire  against  the  shaggy 
trunk  of  the  oak.  The  intervening  area  and  some 
distance  away  was  lighted  by  the  flames  which 
had  eaten  into  the  bark,  until  the  solid  wood 
beneath  was  charred  and  blackened  by  the  heat. 
Ogallah,  the  chief,  strode  to  a  point  midway  be- 
tween the  fire  and  the  couples,  flung  his  blanket 
on  the  ground,  and,  pointing  down  to  it,  motioned 
to  Jack  Carleton  to  come  forward  and  use  it  for 
his  couch. 

This  was  not  the  most  agreeable  order  to  re- 
ceive, but  it  might  have  been  much  worse,  and  he 
obeyed  with  a  readiness  that  looked  genuine, 
though  it  could  not  have  been  entirely  so.  Jack 
nodded  to  the  chief,  as  he  took  his  seat  and 
gathered  the  heavy  folds  around  him,  lay  down 
on  his  right  side,  with  his  face  toward  the  fire. 
Ogallah  looked  at  the  lad,  whose  knees  almost 
touched  his  chin,  and  muttering  to  himself,  walked 
back  to  the  oak  and  sat  with  his  back  against  it, 
his  feet  close  to  his  body  and  his  arms  folded  in 
front. 

The  chief  was  about  one-fourth  of  the  way 
around  the  oak  from  the  camp-fire,  so  that  the 


WAITING   AND    HOPING.  115 

light  revealed  his  entire  left  side,  and  his  not  very 
attractive  profile,  the  whole  being  thrown  against 
the  blank  darkness  beyond,  which  shut  the  rest  of 
his  body  from  view.  This  proceeding  indicated 
that  Ogallah  meant  to  act  the  part  of  sentinel 
while  his  warriors  slept.  He  did  not  require  the 
blanket,  as  would  have  been  the  case  had  he  lain 
down  to  slumber,  and  he  was  magnanimous 
enough,  therefore,  to  turn  it  over  the  captive, 
who  would  have  been  as  well  pleased  never  to 
touch  it. 

It  cannot  be  supposed  that  the  sachem  and  his 
warriors  were  in  any  fear  of  disturbance  during 
the  darkness,  for  they  were  in  a  country  with 
which  they  were  familiar,  and  they  knew  no  dan- 
gerous enemies  were  within  many  miles  of  them. 
Had  they  met  a  party  belonging  to  another  tribe, 
more  than  likely  the  two,  as  a  matter  of  principle, 
would  have  fallen  upon  each  other  like  so  many 
tigers  ;  but  none  of  their  own  race  was  hunting 
for  them,  and  the  white  settlers  were  altogether 
out  of  the  question.  But  the  possibility  of  peril 
— remote  though  it  might  be — always  hangs  over 
the  hunter,  as  indeed  it  does  over  us  all,  and  the 
red  men  had  no  thought  of  trusting  themselves  to 


116  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

slumber  without  one  of  their  number  standing 
guard  over  the  rest. 

Sleep  is  so  insidious  in  its  approach  that  the 
sentry,  as  a  usual  thing,  can  only  fight  it  off  by 
incessant  action.  So  long  as  he  paces  back  and 
forth,  his  senses  stay  with  him,  but  when  he  sits 
down  a  minute  or  so  to  rest,  unconsciousness  is 
sure  to  come.  But  Ogallah  would  not  have  as- 
sumed the  easy  position  had  he  not  felt  sure 
of  his  self-control.  It  will  be  perceived  that  he 
had  so  placed  himself  that  he  had  a  perfect  view 
of  the  camp,  while  he  could  see  all  that  was  pos- 
sible of  the  surrounding  gloom.  If  required,  he 
could  use  the  oak  as  a  shield,  and  only  a  slight 
signal  was  needed  on  his  part  to  rouse  the  sleeping 
warriors  to  instant  wakefulness. 

"  Now,  if  he  keeps  awake,"  thought  Jack  Carle- 
ton,  peeping  through  the  folds  of  his  blanket  with 
his  half-closed  eyes,  "it  don't  look  as  though 
there  will  be  much  chance  for  me,  but  if  he  drops 
into  a  doze  I  may  slip  off,  and  I  won't  need  much 
of  a  start  to  get  away  from  him." 

The  most  natural  query  would  be  as  to  which 
was  more  likely  to  fall  asleep — the  Indian  or  the 
boy.  Ordinarily  a  youngster  like  Jack  would 


WAITING    AND   HOPING.  117 

have  been  no  match  for  the  warrior,  who  had  been 
trained  to  privation,  suffering,  hardship,  self- 
denial  and  watchfulness  from  his  earliest  infancy  ; 
but  it  need  not  be  said  that  the  state  of  one's 
mind  has  everything  to  do  with  his  ability  to 
slumber  and  secure  rest  therefrom.  Ogallah  was 
mentally  quiet ;  he  had  gone  through  a  severe 
tramp,  but  no  more  so  than  had  been  the  case 
hundreds  of  times,  and  he  was  accustomed  to 
sleep  at  that  hour.  Such  was  the  case  also  with 
Jack  Carleton,  but  he  was  in  a  fever  of  hope  and 
nervousness,  which  made  it  hard  for  him  to  hold 
his  eyes  partly  closed  in  his  effort  to  counterfeit 
unconsciousness.  It  was  accepted  as  a  matter  of 
course  that  the  four  warriors  who  were  lying  down 
would  speedily  glide  into  the  land  of  dreams, 
since  such  was  their  wish.  Slight  as  is  the  noise 
which  is  sufficient  to  rouse  a  sleeping  Indian, 
young  Carleton  would  have  felt  no  misgiving  re- 
specting those  so  near  him  ;  it  was  Ogallah,  the 
sentinel  chieftain,  whom  he  feared. 

"  If  he  suspects  that  I  mean  to  try  something 
of  the  kind/'  was  the  conclusion  of  Jack,  "he  will 
not  close  his  eyes  any  longer  than  to  wink.  But 
I'll  watch  him." 


118  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

This  task  which  the  boy  set  himself  was  of  the 
most  trying  nature.  Had  his  mind  been  com- 
posed he  would  have  fallen  asleep  within  five 
minutes,  but  he  was  never  more  wide  awake  in  all 
his  life  than  he  was  two  hours  after  he  had  lain 
down  with  the  Indian  blanket  wrapped  about 
him,  and  his  face  toward  the  camp-fire. 

During  that  period,  so  far  as  he  was  able  to 
see,  the  Indian  had  not  moved  so  much  as  a 
muscle,  and  Jack  himself  had  done  very  little 
more.  Lying  on  his  right  side,  with  his  arm 
doubled  under  him  for  a  pillow,  the  cumbrous 
blanket  enclosing  him  from  head  to  foot,  an  irreg- 
ular opening  in  front  of  his  face  allowed  him  to 
peer  through  the  folds  at  the  camp-fire,  the  oak, 
and  the  chieftain.  The  last  still  sat  leaning 
slightly  backward,  with  his  shoulders  against  the 
trunk,  his  arms  folded  over  his  knees,  while  he 
seemed  to  be  gazing  off  into  vacancy.  The  heels 
of  his  moccasins  remained  close  against  the  thighs, 
so  that  the  form  of  the  Indian  bore  quite  a  re- 
semblance to  the  letter  N. 

The  flickering  light  from  the  camp-fire  disclosed 
as  it  did  at  first,  the  side  and  profile  of  the  chief- 
tain. Gradually  the  flames  sank  lower  and  there 


WAITING    AND    HOPING.  119 

came  moments  when  the  sentinel  was  scarcely 
visible.  Then,  ail  at  once,  the  fire  would  flare  up 
for  a  few  seconds  and  the  figure  would  be  in 
brighter  relief  than  before.  Again  the  eyes  of 
Jack  would  rebel  against  the  extreme  tension  to 
which  they  were  subjected.  The  Indian,  instead 
of  remaining  with  his  back  against  the  oak,  would 
seem  to  be  hitching  forward  and  upward  in  the 
most  grotesque  fashion.  After  bumping  about  in 
the  air  for  a  time,  he  would  sink,  still  bumping, 
to  the  ground,  where  he  would  hitch  backward  to 
his  place  by  the  tree.  Then  the  latter,  instead 
of  standing  as  motionless  as  a  rock,  showed  signs 
of  restlessness.  It  would  begin  by  swaying  back 
and  forth  until  it  too  was  waltzing  in  an  unearthly 
fashion  around  the  camp-fire.  Again  the  sur- 
rounding gloom  became  studded  with  blinking 
stars,  ogres  and  the  most  grotesque  figures,  which 
performed  in  an  indescribable  fashion.  Darkness 
and  light  alternated,  until  the  boy  feared  he  was 
losing  the  power  of  vision  altogether  ;  but  it  will 
be  understood  that  this  was  the  natural  protest  of 
the  eye  against  the  painful  and  long  continued 
strain  to  which  it  was  subjected. 


CHAPTEK    XI. 

THROUGH    THE    FOREST. 

TACK  CAKLETON  occasionly  gave  his  eyes 
fitful  rest  by  holding  them  closed  for  a  few 
moments,  but  the  tantalizing  visions  did  not  leave 
him  even  then.  His  arm  became  so  painfully 
cramped  under  his  head  that  he  was  compelled  to 
shift  his  position  ;  and  he  seized  the  occasion  to 
readjust  his  limbs,  which  were  also  becoming 
wearied  because  of  the  long  time  he  had  held 
them  motionless.  He  was  prudent  enough,  how- 
ever, to  give  the  whole  movement  the  seeming  of 
a  natural  action  done  in  sleep.  He  flung  himself 
about  for  a  few  seconds,  and  then  rolled  back 
almost  in  the  same  posture,  apparently  resuming 
his  heavy  slumber. 

But  through  the  half  closed  eyelids,  on  which 
the  dull  glow  of  the  camp-fire  fell,  he  was  peering 
at  the  faint  outlines  of  the  figure  against  the  oak. 
He  was  sure  Ogallah  would  start  arid  rise  to  his 


THROUGH    THE    FOREST.  121 

feet,  ready  to  check  any  steps  on  the  part  of  the 
captive  looking  toward  flight. 

But  not  the  slightest  stir  was  made,  and  the 
astonished  lad,  with  a  painful  throb  of  his  heart, 
said  to  himself : 

"  He  is  asleep  !     Now  is  my  chance  !  " 

It  seemed  to  be  too  good  to  be  true,  and  yet  it 
certainly  had  that  appearance.  For  some  time 
past,  Jack  had  known  from  the  regular  breath- 
ing of  the  figures  near  him  that  the  couples  wrap- 
ped up  in  their  blankets  were  unconscious.  Cer- 
tainly there  could  be  no  doubt  about  the  one  who 
had  been  burned  by  the  spark  of  fire,  for  he 
snored  amain,  like  the  "  seven  sleepers." 

It  is  at  such  times  that  one's  senses  are  wonder- 
fully acute,  and  Jack  Carleton  not  only  saw  but 
heard  with  unusual  keenness.  With  his  ear  close 
to,  but  not  touching  the  ground,  he  distinctly 
caught  a  rippling  sound  in  the  streamlet  which 
flowed  so  near.  The  fact  that  he  heard  it  was 
proof  that  it  was  caused  by  some  "  foreign  inter- 
ference," since  it  was  entirely  different  from  the 
slight  rippling  noise  along  the  banks. 

The  first  thought  of  Jack  was  that  it  was  Doer- 
foot  come  to  his  rescue,  and  he  could  not  but 


122  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

think  how  completely  he  would  be  master  of  the 
situation,  should  he  suddenly  rise  to  his  feet  in 
front  of  Ogallah  and  give  him  to  understand  he 
was  not  to  move  or  speak  ;  but  a  second  thought 
destroyed  the  hope.  It  was  exceedingly  improb- 
able that  the  young  Shawanoe  was  within  a  score 
of  miles,  but  while  it  was  possible  that  he  might 
be  hunting  somewhere  in  the  forest,  it  was  in- 
credible that  he  would  have  betrayed  his  presence 
near  camp  in  the  manner  named. 

Jack  had  barely  reached  this  correct  conclusion, 
when,  peering  at  the  figure  of  Ogallah,  as  it  was 
faintly  shown,  he  caught  the  gleam  of  the  eyes  of 
a  wild  beast  just  beyond,  and  in  a  direct  line  with 
the  chief.  The  eyes  were  large,  round  and  quite 
close  together,  with  that  phosphorescent,  flicker- 
ing glow  often  shown  by  animals  when  the  light 
is  faint. 

"That  will  settle  the  question  whether  Ogallah 
is  asleep  or  not,"  said  the  boy,  watching  with 
an  intensity  of  interest  which  cannot  be  de- 
scribed. 

Whatever  the  nature  of  the  animal,  he  was 
evidently  on  a  reconnoissance,  and  had  no  purpose 
of  venturing  closer  until  satisfied  the  path  was 


THROUGH    THE    FOREST.  123 

clear  to  do  so.  It  must  have  been  that  he  cared 
very  little  one  way  or  the  other,  for  while  the  two 
orbs  were  glaring  upon  Jack,  they  vanished  with 
a  suddenness  that  suggested  that  some  one  had 
seized  his  tail  and  flung  him  back  into  the  gloom 
from  which  he  first  emerged. 

It  was  incredible,  too,  that  the  chief  should  have 
sat  quiet  and  motionless  with  a  wild  beast  so 
near  him,  unless  he  was  asleep,  but  the  possibility 
of  being  mistaken  after  all,  kept  Jack  from  stir- 
ring for  fully  a  half  hour  longer. 

The  time  seemed  much  later  than  it  really  was, 
when  the  boy  rose  on  his  elbow  and  hesitated, 
while  he  looked  intently  around  and  listened  for 
the  slightest  sound.  He  glanced  right  and  left  at 
the  figures  shrouded  in  the  blankets,  but  they 
might  have  been  so  many  dead  men.  He  could 
barely  dfscern  their  outlines  in  the  gloom,  for  the 
fire  was  slowly,  but  steadily,  sinking.  Several 
times  he  had  asked  himself  whether  it  would  not 
be  wise  to  wait  until  it  died  out  altogether,  but 
he  was  too  strongly  convinced  that  the  night  was 
nearly  gone,  and  he  would  need  every  minute  in 
which  to  widen  the  distance  between  him  and  his 
pursuers. 


124  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

"  No,"  he  murmured,  "  it  won't  do  to  wait  an- 
other second." 

He  was  on  one  knee,  with  his  hand  pressing  the 
ground,  when  the  largest  stick  on  the  fire  hurned 
in  two  in  the  middle,  and  the  larger  portion  rolled 
back  and  in  front  of  the  chief.  The  disturbance 
caused  it  to  flare  up  for  the  moment  with  a  glare 
which  revealed  the  figure  of  Ogallah  more  dis- 
tinctly than  at  any  time  since  he  had  taken  his 
position. 

Jack  Carleton  paused  in  his  painful  movement 
and  became  like  a  figure  cut  in  marble,  staring 
straight  at  the  warrior  brought  into  such  unex- 
pected prominence.  As  he  did  so,  he  saw  that 
Ogallah  was  not  only  wide  awake,  but  had  turned 
his  head,  and  was  looking  straight  at  him.  The 
cunning  fellow  had  not  slept  a  wink  from  the  mo- 
ment he  took  his  singular  position.  He  had  noted 
the  wolf  which  ventured  close  enough  to  take  a 
peep  into  camp,  but,  well  aware  that  there  was 
no  danger,  and  convinced  also  that  his  captive  was 
awaiting  the  chance  to  steal  away,  he  held  himself 
as  rigid  as  iron  until  such  an  attempt  should  be 
made. 

Poor    Jack   almost    fainted    in    a    collapse   of 


THROUGH   THE   FOREST.  125 

despair.  He  saw  that  his  captors  had  trifled  with 
him  from  the  beginning,  and  with  a  sigh  of  utter 
wretchedness,  he  dropped  back  on  the  ground, 
feeling  that  it  was  worse  than  useless  for  him  to 
expect  or  hope  to  outwit  those  cunning  children 
of  the  forest. 

Reaction  followed,  arid  the  lad  speedily  sank 
into  a  deep  slumber  which  lasted  until  the  sun 
had  risen  and  the  party  had  broken  camp  and 
were  ready  to  resume  their  journey.  Even  then  it 
was  necessary  for  Ogallah  to  thrust  his  moccasin 
against  him  before  he  opened  his  eyes  and  stared 
confusedly  around.  The  sight  of  the  warriors  who 
stood  ready  to  move,  recalled  Jack  to  his  hapless 
situation.  .  He  rubbed  his  eyes,  and  sprang  to  his 
feet,  and  walking  to  the  streamlet  lay  down,  took 
a  draught  of  the  cool,  refreshing  water  in  which 
he  bathed  his  face,  wiping  it  off  with  his  handker- 
chief, and  then  turned  about  to  signify  that  he 
awaited  orders. 

He  wondered  that  no  signs  of  breakfast  were  to 
be  seen,  and  at  first  suspected  that  his  captors  had 
partaken  while  he  slept,  but  afterward  concluded 
that  like  all  their  people  they  were  anything  but 
regular  in  their  meals,  especially  when  on  the  tramp. 


126  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

Without  any  ceremony,  the  journey  was  taken 
up,  Ogallah  again  walking  at  the  head,  with  the 
other  four  at  the  rear  of  the  hoy.  They  adopted 
their  favorite  custom  of  walking  in  Indian  file, 
each  warrior  stepping  in  the  tracks  of  the  one  in 
front.  Jack  was  wise  enough  to  adhere  to  the 
practice,  so  that  had  any  one  sought  to  follow  the 
party,  he  would  have  noted  but  the  single  trail, 
though  a  skilled  red  or  white  man  would  have 
been  quick  to  discover  the  precise  number  of  the 
company. 

"  We  have  traveled  a  good  many  miles  since 
yesterday  noon,"  thought  Jack,  u  and  it  must  be 
that  we  are  not  far  from  the  Indian  village.  If 
that  is  so,  it  won't  do  for  me  to  make*  any  other 
attempt  to  run  away.  Ogallah  knows  I  am  anx- 
ious to  go,  for  he  saw  me  try  it  twice,  and  he  will 
take  good  care  that  I  don't  try  it  again." 

Still,  while  taking  this  sensible  view  of  the 
matter,  Jack  Carleton  compressed  his  lips  with 
the  resolution  that  he  would  not  throw  away  a 
single  chance.  If  it  should  prove  that  many  miles 
still  lay  before  them  and  that  several  nights  were 
to  be  spent  on  the  road,  he  meant  to  do  his  utmost 
to  give  his  captors  the  slip. 


THROUGH    THE   FOREST.  127 

The  journey  assumed  the  most  monotonous 
character.  It  was  simply  tramp,  tramp,  without 
the  least  rest  or  variation.  Jack  was  sure  he  had 
never  seen  such  sameness  in  the  forest,  lasting 
mile  after  mile.  There  were  the  towering  trees, 
their  leafy  branches  interlocked  overhead,  the 
same  array  of  shaggy  columns  of  bark,  spreading 
limbs  and  sparse  undergrowth.  Sometimes  Ogal- 
lah  would  step  so  rapidly  that  a  branch  which  he 
brushed  from  his  path  would  swing  back  and 
switch  the  lad  in  the  face,  and  once  or  twice  a 
running  vine  would  be  uprooted  by  a  vigorous 
fling  or  kick  of  the  foot. 

But  all  this  time  the  squat  figure  of  the  chief 
advanced  like  a  machine.  Jack  noticed  the  swing 
of  the  muscular  arms,  the  play  of  the  legs  and 
the  occasional  slight  turning  or  ducking  of  the 
head.  The  straggling  black  hair,  with  the  painted 
eagle  feathers  drooping  like  the  plume  of  a  lady's 
hat,  the  blanket  slung  loosely  over  the  shoulders, 
the  fringed  hunting  shirt  and  leggings,  the  faded 
moccasins,  so  soft  that  they  spread  out  of  all  man- 
ner of  shape  when  the  weight  of  the  body  rested 
on  them  : — all  these  and  much  more  were  im- 
pressed upon  -the  mind  of  the  boy  with  a  distinct- 


128  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

ness  that  be  was  certain  would  last  him  all 
through  life. 

"  My  gracious  !  "  thought  he,  "  they  have  come 
from  a  long  distance ;  what  could  have  taken 
them  down  near  Martinsville  and  so  near  the 
Mississippi  ?  I  wonder  whether  it  is  possible  the 
tribes  who  live  on  this  side  the  river  ever  cross 
over  to  look  at  the  country  on  the  other  shore.  It 
would  not  be  strange  if  they  did  so,  but  it  don't 
seem  like  an  Indian  to  do  that  sort  of  thing.  Can 
it  be  these  warriors  have  their  hunting  grounds 
away  out  toward  the  Rocky  Mountains  ?  If  so, 
I  shall  have  a  fine  time  in  finding  my  way  back 
home." 

The  youth  did  not  allow  himself  to  consider  the 
possibility  that  he  would  never  have  the  chance  to 
attempt  the  journey.  The  shuddering  fear  which 
first  took  hold  of  him  was  gone.  Closely  as  the 
captors  guarded  him,  he  was  persuaded  they  meant 
to  inflict  no  personal  harm — at  least  while  on  their 
way  through  the  woods. 

It  was  a  serious  question  indeed  as  to  what 
would  be  his  treatment  after  reaching  the  Indian 
settlement.  The  American  race  is  cruel,  treacher- 
ous, and  revengeful,  and  though  the  red  men  fre- 


THROUGH   THE   FOREST.  129 

quently  hold  prisoners  for  months  and  years,  they 
more  frequently  subject  them  to  torture  and 
death.  It  will  he  understood,  therefore,  why 
Jack  Carleton  was  so  anxious  to  make  his 
escape  from  the  party  "before  they  could  arrive 
home. 

Present  discomforts  often  drive  away  future 
horrors,  and,  hy  the  time  the  sun  was  over-head, 
Jack  gave  his  principal  thought  to  one  thing — the 
question  of  food.  He  was  a-hungered,  and  viewed 
with  a  mental  groan  the  prospect  of  keeping  on 
the  march  until  sunset,  "before  securing  anything 
to  eat. 

"  I  have  gone  a  full  day  many  a  time  without 
food,"  he  said,  as  he  tramped  along,  "  but  it  seems 
to  me  I  never  was  as  ravenous  as  now.  I  believe 
I  could  eat  a  pair  of  boiled  moccasins,  that  is,  if 
they  had  never  been  in  use." 

He  was  ashamed  of  his  weakness,  and  resolutely 
refrained  from, giving  any  evidence  of  his  suffering, 
but  when  he  detected  the  pale  green  foliage  of  the 
fragrant  birch,  he  ventured  to  step  out  of  the 
trail,  break  off  a  branch  and  chew  the  bark,  thus 
securing  temporary  relief  from  the  gnawing  dis- 
comfort. 


130  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

High  noon  came,  but  no  halt  had  been  made. 
The  lad  had  left  the  trail  several  times,  and  the 
warriors  themselves  were  more  careless  about  their 
own  footsteps,  but  seemed  to  have  no  desire  to 
partake  of  food. 

The  first  shock  of  surprise  came  when  the  party 
suddenly  emerged  from  the  woods  and  paused  on 
the  bank  of  a  deep,  swift  stream,  fully  a  hundred 
yards  wide.  The  current,  like  the  smaller  one, 
was  yellow  and  roiled,  and  the  boy  looked  upon  it 
with  a  feeling  akin  to  dismay.  Recalling  the  in- 
dignity to  which  he  had  been  subjected  earlier  in 
the  day,  he  dreaded  trusting  himself  in  the  water 
again. 

"  This  time  they  may  take  it  into  their  heads 
to  drown  me,"  was  his  thought. 

But  his  nerves  were  not  subjected  to  the  trial. 
Nothing  showed  more  clearly  the  wonderful  wood- 
craft of  the  Indians  than  the  fact  that,  after  jour- 
neying many  long  leagues  through  the  wilderness, 
without  the  slightest  trail  to  guide  them,  they 
struck  the  stream  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the 
point  at  which  they  aimed  from  the  first. 

This  was  proven  by  the  action  of  the  warriors 
themselves.  After  talking  together  for  a  few 


THROUGH    THE    FOREST.  131 

minutes,  two  of  them  walked  a  short  distance  up 
the  bank  and  drew  a  large  canoe  from  under  the 
shore,  where  they  had  left  it  when  journeying  in 
the  other  direction. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE      SIGNAL     FIRES. 

canoe  was  made  of  bark,  with  the  ends 
turned  up  in  the  usual  fashion.  Two  long 
paddles  belonging  to  it  lay  within,  and  were  taken 
by  the  warriors,  who  paddled  it  down  to  where 
the  party  were  in  waiting.  All  stepped  carefully 
inside,  and  the  same  Indians  who  brought  it  from 
its  hiding  place  turned  the  prow  toward  the  other 
shore  and  began  swiuging  the  paddles  with  the 
freedom  and  vigor  peculiar  to  their  people.  Jack 
was  the  last  to  seat  himself,  and  he  held  fast  as 
best  he  could,  dreading  some  of  the  rude  jokes  of 
his  captors. 

When  all  were  in  position,  and  the  craft  began 
moving,  great  care  was  necessary,  for  it  sank  to 
the  gunwales,  and  a  slight  disturbance  would  be 
enough  to  overturn  the  frail  boat.  Although 
Jack  feared  such  an  occurrence,  yet  the  Indians 
themselves  were  no  more  desirous  it  should  take 
place  than  was  he. 


THE    SIGNAL    FIRES.  133 

He  naturally  fixed  his  eyes  on  the  line  of  war- 
riors seated  in  front  of  him.  All  faced  the  shore 
they  were  approaching,  and  the  couple  using  the 
paddles  dipped  first  one  end  on  the  right  and  the 
other  end  on  the  left  of  the  canoe.  They  put 
forth  little  exertion.  Had  they  chosen  to  do  so, 
they  could  have  tripled  the  speed,  though  most 
likely  an  upset  would  have  been  the  conse- 
quence. 

The  middle  of  the  stream  was  not  reached,  when 
a  small  fish  leaped  out  of  the  water  in  front  and 
fell  back  again.  Ogallah  uttered  an  exclamation, 
and,  reaching  his  hand  over  the  side  of  the  boat, 
held  it  several  inches  under  the  surface.  The  two 
Indians  not  using  the  paddles  did  the  same,  just 
as  a  party  of  young  people  will  do  when  taking  a 
pleasure  sail  over  some  calm  lake. 

Suddenly  Ogallah  gave  a  quick  flirt  of  the  sub- 
merged hand,  flinging  the  sparkling  water  over 
all.  Something  flashed  in  the  sunlight,  and  a 
plump  fish,  weighing  fully  a  pound,  dropped  into 
the  canoe.  Almost  immediately  the  other  two 
warriors  did  the  same,  one  of  them  securing  a 
prize  weighing  as  much  as  both  the  others.  The 
fact  was,  the  boat  was  passing  through  something 


134  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

like  a  school  of  fish,  and  the  red  men  found  no 
difficulty  in  capturing  a  number. 

"  That  looks  like  dinner,"  thought  Jack  with  a 
chuckle,  as  he  also  dipped  his  hand  to  grope  for 
the  finny  delicacies.  He  had  less  than  a  minute 
to  wait  when  something  cold  and  smooth  touched 
his  fingers.  He  made  a  desperate  clutch,  sinking 
his  arm  to  his  elbow,  but  the  fish  was  too  quick, 
and  darted  beyond  his  reach,  just  as  Ogallah 
landed  another  tempting  one. 

Several  more  were  taken,  but  Jack  could  not 
succeed  in  closing  his  fingers  quickly  enough  to 
keep  the  fish  from  slipping  away.  By  the  time 
the  other  side  of  the  stream  was  reached,  a  good 
supply  had  been  secured,  and  the  boy  forgot  his 
sorrow  in  the  pleasure  of  anticipating  that  his 
hunger  would  be  fully  satisfied. 

Happily  he  was  not  disappointed  in  this  re- 
spect, for,  while  the  oarsmen  were  drawing  the 
boat  out  of  the  water,  the  others  were  preparing 
the  fire  with  which  to  cook  the  fish,  that  were 
speedily  dressed.  They  were  the  "  white "  spe- 
cies common  in  the  west,  and  when  browned  to  a 
juicy  crisp,  formed  as  luscious  a  meal  as  any  epi- 
cure could  ask.  Best  of  all,  there  was  an  abund- 


THE    SIGNAL    FIRES.  135 

ance,  and  Jack  Carleton  ate  until  he  wanted  no 
more. 

Having  tramped  so  many  miles  since  the  rising 
of  the  sun,  Ogallah  and  his  warriors  were  dis- 
posed to  enjoy  a  good  rest. 

Their  pipes  were  relighted  and  they  lolled 
about  in  the  same  lazy  fashion,  paying  no  special 
heed  to  Jack,  who  knew  the  unwisdom  of  making 
any  effort  to  get  away. 

All  this  convinced  the  boy  that  the  party  had 
still  a  considerable  distance  to  travel.  Had 
they  been  in  the  neighborhood  of  their  village, 
they  would  have  pushed  on  without  stopping. 
At  any  rate,  they  would  not  have  paused  to 
kindle  the  camp-fire  and  to  cook  a  meal  at  mid- 
day. *• 

"  It  must  be,"  Jack  said  to  himself,  with  seve- 
ral nods  of  his  head,  "  that  we  are  to  spend 
another  night  on  the  road  :  if  that  is  so,  I'll  make 
a  break  if  I  have  to  suffer  for  it." 

These  were  vaunting  words,  but  he  was  in  ear- 
nest. Except  for  the  hope  thus  renewed  within 
him,  the  youth  would  have  given  way  to  the  drow- 
siness which  became  quite  common  with  the  rest, 
but  a  line  of  speculation  was  started  which  kept 


136  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

his  mind  occupied  duripg  the  full  hour  the  party 
dawdled  about  the  camp-fire. 

At  the  end  of  the  time  named,  the  ashes  were 
knocked  from  the  pipes,  several  stretched  their 
limbs  and  yawned,  and  the  sullen-faced  warrior 
who  had  been  taking  care  of  Jack's  rifle,  passed  it 
back  to  him  with  some  surly  word,  which  most 
likely  meant  that  thereafter  the  captive  should 
bear  his  own  burdens.  The  boy  was  glad  enough 
to  regain  his  weapon,  but  he  smiled  when  he  ob- 
served that  it  had  no  charge  in  it.  His  captors 
were  determined  not  to  put  temptation  in  his 
way. 

It  took  the  company  a  considerable  time  to 
"  shake  themselves  together."  They  straggled  and 
kfpt  irregular  step,  and  finally,  when  they  began 
ascending  a  slope,  where  the  ground  was  much 
broken  and  covered  with  stones,  they  gave  it  up 
altogether.  The  ascent  continued  until  they 
found  themselves  on  an  elevation  several  hundred 
feet  high,  and  so  devoid  of  vegetation  that  a  view 
was  gained  which  covered  an  area  of  hundreds  of 
square  miles  in  every  direction. 

Standing  on  this  lookout,  as  it  may  be  called, 
the  Indians  devoted  a  number  of  minutes  to  such 


THE    SIGNAL    FIRES.  137 

survey.     No  employment  just  then  could  be  more 
entertaining,  and  Jack  Carleton  adopted  it. 

The  scene  was  too  similar  to  those  with  which 
the  reader  of  these  pages  has  become  familiar  to 
need  any  lengthened  reference  in  this  place.  It 
was  green,  billowy  forest  in  every  direction. 
Here  and  there  a  stream  wound  like  a  silver  rib- 
bon through  the  emerald  wilderness,  sometimes 
gleaming  in  the  sunlight,  and  then  disappearing 
among  the  vegetation,  to  reappear  miles  away, 
and  finally  to  vanish  from  sight  altogether  as  it 
wound  its  way  toward  the  Gulf.  At  remote 
points  the  trained  eye  could  detect  the  thin,  wavy 
column  of  vapor  motionless  against  the  sky,  a 
mute  witness  that  beings  other  than  those  on  the 
hill  were  stealing  through  the  vast  solitude  in* 
their  quest  for  game  or  prey. 

Inasmuch  as  Jack  Carleton  readily  detected 
these  "  signs,"  as  the  hunter  terms  them,  it  fol- 
lowed they  must  have  been  noted  by  the  Indians 
themselves  ;  but  they  gave  no  evidence  of  any  ex- 
citement on  that  account.  It  was  natural  that 
such  evidences  of  the  presence  of  other  persons  in 
the  immense  territory  should  present  themselves. 

But  the  youth  failed  to  find  that  for  which  he 


138  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

specially  looked.  Observing  the  chieftain  gazing 
earnestly  toward  the  west,  he  did  the  same,  ex- 
pecting to  catch  sight  of  the  Indian  village  where 
Ogallah  and  his  warriors  made  their  home.  He 
descried  a  wooded  ridge  stretching  across  his  field 
of  vision,  but  not  the  first  resemblance  to  village 
or  wigwam  could  be  discovered. 

"  He  is  not  looking  for  that"  thought  Jack, 
"  but  is  expecting  some  signal  which  will  appear 
on  the  ridge." 

One  of  the  other  Indians  was  peering  with 
equal  intentness  at  the  same  point,  but  the  min- 
utes passed  and  nothing  presented  itself.  Jack 
joined  in  the  scrutiny,  but  he  could  not  succeed 
where  they  failed. 

All  at  once  the  sachem  seemed  to  lose  patience. 
He  said  some  vigorous  things,  accompanied  by 
equally  vigorous  gestures,  and  then  the  whole 
party  began  hastily  gathering  wood.  In  a  short 
while  this  was  kindled  and  burning  strongly. 
When  the  flames  were  fairly  going,  one  of  the  war- 
riors who  had  collected  several  handfuls  of  damp 
leaves  by  digging  under  the  dry  ones,  dropped 
them  carefully  on  the  blaze.  It  looked  at  first  as 
if  the  fire  would  be  put  out,  but  it  struggled  up- 


THE    SIGNAL    FIRES.  139 

ward,  and  by-and-by  a  column  of  dense  black 
smoke  stained  the  sky  like  the  smutty  finger  of 
some  giant  tracing  a  wavy  line  across  it. 

Then  Ogallah  and  one  of  his  men  held  his 
blanket  spread  out  so  as  almost  to  force  the  thick 
smoke  to  the  ground,  but  such  was  not  their  pur- 
pose. The  blanket  was  abruptly  lifted,  then 
swayed  in  a  peculiar  fashion,  the  two  moving  in 
perfect  unison,  without  speaking,  and  repeating 
their  pantomime  with  the  regularity  of  machinery, 
for  the  space  of  fully  ten  minutes. 

The  results  were  singular.  The  inky  column 
of  vapor  was  broken  into  a  number  of  sections,  as 
may  b?  said,  so  that  when  viewed  from  a  distance 
the  figure  was  that  of  a  black  broad  band  of  enor- 
mous height,  separated  by  belts  of  colorless  air 
into  a  dozen  pieces  or  divisions,  the  upper  ones 
gradually  melting  into  nothingness.  Besides  this, 
so  deftly  had  the  red  men  manipulated  the  fire 
and  blanket,  that  these  divisions  showed  a  pecu- 
liar wavy  appearance,  which  would  have  excited 
wondering  remark,  no  matter  by  whom  seen. 

"  It  is  a  signal  to  some  one  on  the  ridge  yon- 
der," was  the  conclusion  of  Jack,  who  watched 
the  proceeding  with  much  interest. 


140  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

Having  finished,  Ogallah  and  the  warrior  threw 
the  blanket  on  the  ground,  and  the  whole  five 
gazed  at  the  ridge  miles  away.  For  a  time  per- 
fect silence  reigned,  and  then  one  of  the  dusky 
watchers  uttered  an  exclamation,  to  which  the 
chief  responded  with  a  grunt. 

"  While  scanning  the  distant  ridge,  Jack  de- 
tected a  black  brush  of  vapor  climbing  slowly 
above  the  trees.  It  broke  clean  off,  and  as  it  went 
on  upward,  was  inclosed  by  clear  air  on  all  sides. 
But  it  was  not  long  before  ji  second,  third,  fourth, 
and  fifth  appeared.  Parties  were  answering  the 
signal  of  the  chief  in  precisely  the  same  manner 
that  he  made  it.  The  only  difference  was  in  the 
number,  of  which  there  were  only  the  five.  Those, 
however,  were  sufficient,  as  the  parties  making 
it  were  well  aware. 

This  aboriginal  system  of  telegraphy,  which 
has  been  in  use  from  time  immemorial,  is  still  a 
favorite  means  of  communication  among  the  In- 
dians of  the  West.  More  than  once  the  news  of 
the  signing  of  some  important  treaty,  or  the  war 
movement  of  tribes,  has  been  flashed  by  means  of 
signal  fires  from  mountain  top  to  mountain  top 
over  a  distance  of  hundreds  of  miles. 


THE   SIGNAL    FIRES.  141 

The  information  given  by  the  answering  signal 
lire  was  satisfactory  to  the  chief  Ogallah,  who  re- 
sumed the  journey  at  a  leisurely  pace,  making  no 
effort  to  walk  in  the  close  Indian  file  that  he  and 
his  warriors  did  when  further  away  from  home. 

ulf  we  reach  the  village  before  going  into 
camp,"  concluded  Jack,  "  we  must  keep  moving 
until  after  dark.  The  sun  is  setting  and  the 
ridge  is  still  a  good  ways  off." 

It  soon  became  manifest  that  the  red  men  had 
no  purpose  of  tiring  themselves  by  walking.  They 
were  at  the  base  of  the  ridge  when  they  came 
upon  a  small  stream  which  dashed  down  the 
mountain  side  with  a  musical  plash,  forming  cur- 
rents, eddies,  and  cascades,  while  in  the  depths  of 
some  pebbly  pool  it  was  as  silent  and  clear  as 
liquid  mountain  air. 

The  afternoon  was  more  sultry  than  the  early 
portion  of  the  day,  and  every  member  of  the  com- 
pany quaffed  his  fill  from  the  refreshing  element. 
Jack's  heart  gave  a  great  bound  of  hope  when  he 
saw  that  Ogallah  meant  to  spend  the  night  there. 
He  was  strongly  convinced  that  he  would  gain  an 
opportunity  to  steal  away  during  the  darkness, 
which  promised  to  be  denser  than  on  the  previous 


142  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

night.  Although  the  day  had  been  -  clear  and 
beautiful,  yet  the  clouds  gathered  after  the  sun 
went  down,  and  there  were  signs  of  a  storm.  Low 
mutterings  of  distant  thunder  and  the  fitful 
flashes  of  lightning  showed  the  interchange  of 
electricity  between  the  earth  and  sky,  though  it 
might  not  develop  to  any  great  extent  for  many 
hours  to  come. 

No  hunt  was  made  for  game,  and  after  the 
abundant  meal  earlier  in  the  day,  Jack  could  not 
complain  if  compelled  to  fast  until  morning.  A 
fire  was  kindled  precisely  as  before,  a  sturdy 
oak  forming  the  background,  while  the  others 
lolled  around  it  and  smoked  their  long-stemmed 
pipes. 

When  Jack  Carleton  was  invited  to  retire  to  his 
couch  by  the  sullen  warrior,  he  obeyed  as  though 
pleased  with  the  prospect  of  a  full  night's  rest. 
Ogallah  stretched  out  with  one  of  his  men,  while 
the  ill-tempered  member  sat  down  with  his  back 
against  the  tree,  as  though  desirous  of  imitating 
his  leader  in  every  respect. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE   INDIAN    VILLAGE. 

one  thing  certain,"  said  Jack 
Carleton  to  himself,  as  he  gathered  the 
Indian  blanket  around  his  shoulders,  like  one 
lying  down  to  pleasant  dreams,  "  I  can  keep  awake 
a  good  deal  more  easily  than  I  did  last  night. 
Fm  pretty  tired,  but  I  slept  so  much  toward 
morning  that  it  will  be  no  trouble  to  go  twenty- 
four  hours  without  any  more." 

The  temperature  was  milder  than  at  that  time, 
so  that  the  lad  found  the  thick  blanket  uncom- 
fortably warm  when  wrapped  closely  around  him. 
He  flung  out  his  feet  and  arms  as  a  child  often 
does  with  its  bed  coverings,  and  adjusted  his 
body  so  as  to  keep  his  eye  on  the  sentinel,  without 
(as  the  captive  believed)  any  suspicion  of  his  in- 
tention. 

The  other  couples  sank  into  refreshing  slumber 
within  a  few  minutes  after  lying  down,  and  it 
certainly  was  singular  that  the  warrior  who  sat 


144  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

half  revealed,  with  his  back  against  the  tree, 
should  have  continued  as  motionless  as  did  the 
chief  Ogallah  the  evening  before.  It  was  impos- 
sible that  two  scenes  should  resemble  each  other 
more  closely  than  those  named. 

"  I  don't  believe  he  can  keep  it  up  as  long  as 
the  old  fellow  did.  If  he  tries  it,  he  will  be 
dreaming,  and  when  he  and  the  rest  awake,  they 
will  find  I  am  miles  off  and  going  with  might  and 
main  for  home.  My  gracious  !  but  I  shall  have  a 
long  distance  to  travel,  and  it  will  be  hard  work 
to  keep  out  of  their  way/' 

Fixing  his  eyes  on  the  form  as  it  was  shown  by 
the  flickering  camp-fire,  Jack  prepared  to  watch 
with  more  patience  than  he  showed  in  the  former 
instance.  The  sound  of  the  splashing  brook  and 
the  soft  stirring  of  the  night  wind  were  soothing 
to  the  tired  boy.  By-and-by  his  eyelids  drooped, 
then  closed,  and  his  senses  passed  from  him. 
Never  was  he  sunk  in  sounder  sleep. 

Nothing  occurred  to  disturb  him,  and  he  slept 
hour  after  hour,  never  opening  his  eyes  until  it 
was  broad  daylight  and  Ogallah  and  his  warriors 
were  astir. 

Jack  was  chagrined  beyond  expression  when  he 


THE   INDIAN    VILLAGE.  145 

found  what  he  had  done,  or,  rather,  what  he  had 
failed  to  do.  The  opportunity  for  which  he  had 
sighed  so  long  had  slipped  irrevocably  from  his 
grasp.  So  convinced  was  he  of  this  fact  that  he 
gave  over  all  thought  of  escape  while  on  the 
journey. 

"  The  Indian  village  can't  be  far  off,  and  I  must 
now  go  ahead  and  take  my  chances.  But  this  is 
getting  tiresome." 

The  last  remark  referred  to  the  absence  of  any 
preparations  for  breakfast.  He  had  made  no  com- 
plaint the  evening  before,  but  it  was  a  hardship 
to  continue  his  fast.  Inasmuch,  however,  as  there 
was  no  help  for  it,  he  submitted  without  a 
murmur. 

There  was  now  no  pretence  of  treading  in  each 
other's  footsteps,  but  the  party  straggled  up  the 
ridge  like  a  lot  of  weary  pedestrians.  No  one 
seemed  to  pay  any  attention  to  the  single  captive, 
most  likely  because  there  was  no  call  to  do  so. 
He  might  desire  to  make  a  break  for  liberty,  but 
he  could  not  go  further  than  they  were  willing 
to  permit. 

The  top  of  the  ridge  was  marked  by  a  bare  spot, 
where  some  charred  sticks  showed  a  fire  had  been 
7 


146  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

recently  kindled.  There  could  be  no  doubt  that 
it  was  there  the  answering  signal  had  been  made 
to  the  call  of  Ogallah. 

But  looking  down  the  western  slope  of  the 
ridge,  Jack  Carleton's  eyes  rested  on  a  scene  more 
interesting  than  any  that  had  met  his  gaze  since 
leaving  home.  Less  than  a  mile  off,  close  to  the 
shore  of  a  winding  stream  and  in  the  middle  of  a 
partially  cleared  space,  stood  the  Indian  village 
toward  which  his  footsteps  had  been  tending  for 
nearly  two  days,  and  where  he  was  likely  to  spend 
an  indefinite  captivity. 

The  stream  was  perhaps  a  hundred  feet  in 
width.  It  shone  brightly  in  the  morning  sun, 
and  the  current  was  clearer  than  that  of  the  river 
crossed  the  day  before.  It  wound  its  way  west- 
ward as  far  as  the  eye  could  follow  it,  flowing  into 
a  tributary  of  the  Osage,  thence  to  the  Missouri, 
and  so  on  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

The  Indian  village  numbered  between  twenty 
and  thirty  lodges,  wigwams  or  dwellings  as  they 
may  be  called.  Some  of  them  were  made  of  bison 
and  deer  skins,  and  were  of  irregular,  conical 
shape ;  others  were  mere  huts,  covered  with  grass, 
leaves,  limbs  and  dirt,  while  one  or  two  were 


THE   INDIAN   VILLAGE.  147 

mainly  composed  of  stones  piled  in  the  form  of 
rude  walls  and  roofed  in  the  rude  fashion  de- 
scribed. 

These  primitive  structures  were  scattered  ir- 
regularly over  a  space  of  half  an  acre,  which 
might  be  called  a  clearing,  inasmuch  as  only  a  few 
stumps  and  broken  trees  were  to  be  seen.  But 
nothing  in  the  way  of  corn  or  vegetables  was 
growing,  and  the  air  of  dilapidation,  untidiness 
and  squalor  pervading  the  whole  scene,  was  char- 
acteristic of  the  race,  and  was  that  which  robs 
it  of  the  romance  which  in  the  minds  of  many 
attaches  to  the  name  of  the  American  Indian. 

Viewed  from  the  ridge,  Jack  could  see  figures 
moving  to  and  fro  in  the  aimless  manner  natural 
to  such  indolent  people.  There  were  children 
running  and  playing  among  the  stumps  and 
dwellings — half  naked  little  knots  of  humanity, 
who  in  a  few  years  would  become  the  repulsive 
squaws  or  terrible  warriors  of  the  tribe.  Three  of 
the  youngsters  were  having  a  high  time  with  a 
canoe  lying  against  the  shore.  They  were  splash- 
ing the  water  over  each  other,  plunging  into  the 
stream  and  scrambling  out  again  without  regard 
to  the  wear  or  tear  of  their  clothing,  and  playing 


148  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

all  sorts  of  tricks  on  each  other,  while  a  half  doz- 
en playmates  were  standing  on  the  bank  laughing 
so  heartily  that  a  spectator  would  have  found  ft 
hard  to  understand  why  the  American  race  is  so 
often  described  as  of  a  melancholy  temperament. 

Now  and  then  some  squaw  could  be  seen  trudg- 
ing along  under  a  load  of  sticks,  while  more  than 
likely  her  lazy  husband  was  asleep  within  the  wig- 
wam. A  half  dozen  warriors  strolled  off  toward 
the  woods,  rifles  in  hand,  and  most  likely  with  the 
intention  of  going  upon  a  hunt.  Just  before 
leaving  the  clearing,  one  of  them  caught  sight  of 
the  group  on  the  top  of  the  ridge.  Immediately 
they  swung  their  arms  and  sent  several  ringing 
ivhoops  across  as  a  salutation  to  their  friends. 

Ogallah  answered,  and  he  and  his  party  moved 
down  the  slope  toward  their  homes.  Having  sa- 
luted each  other  in  this  fashion,  the  warriors  of 
the  village  speedily  vanished  in  the  wood.  They 
must  have  known  that  the  returning  company  had 
a  prisoner  with  them,  but  it  will  be  seen  they  felt 
no  particular  interest  in  the  matter. 

But  if  such  was  the  fact  respecting  the  hunters, 
it  was  far  different  with  those  who  were  left  be- 
hind. The  moment  the  five  warriors  emerged 


THE   INDIAN   VILLAGE.  149 

from  the  wood,  with  the  captive  walking  among 
them,  the  whole  village  was  thrown  in  a  turmoil 
of  excitement.  Squaws  and  children  rushed  for- 
ward, men  came  to  the  entrances  of  their  wig- 
wams, and  some  strolled  out  to  make  a  closer 
investigation  of  the  matter. 

It  was  a  trying  moment  to  Jack  Carleton,  for  it 
may  be  said  that  he  had  discounted  it  during  the 
preceding  day.  He  forced  himself  to  smile,  and 
when  the  chattering,  grunting,  shouting  crowd 
gathered  around  him  so  closely  that  he  was  forced 
to  stop  walking,  he  shook,  so  far  as  he  could,  most 
of  the  scores  of  hands  that  were  pushed  against  him. 

All  this  was  well  enough,  hut  it  was  not  long 
"before  their  attention  took  an  unpleasant  form. 
Some  of  the  half  grown  "bucks  either  feigned  or 
really  were  angered  hecause  Jack  could  not  give 
them  heed,  and  struck  him  with  the  flat  of  their 
hands  about  the  chest  and  shoulders.  The  boy 
turned  when  the  first  blow  was  delivered,  and  the 
Indian  indulged  in  a  taunting  grimaca  Jack 
clenched  his  fist  and  was  on  the  point  of  striking 
him  in  the  face  when  his  good  sense  restrained 
him.  He  needed  no  one  to  tell  him  the  conse- 
quences of  such  rashness. 


150  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

The  attentions  soon  became  so  boisterous  that 
Ogallah  interfered.  He  flung  the  crowd  right  and 
left,  commanding  them  to  disperse,  and  then 
beckoned  the  youth  to  follow  him  toward  a  lodge 
near  the  center  of  the  village.  Jack  was  glad 
enough  to  do  so,  and  was  speedily  relieved  of  an- 
noyance. 

The  sachem  conducted  the  boy  to  his  own 
dwelling  where  none  of  the  curious  dare  follow 
him,  though  the  crowd  gathered  on  the  outside 
and  peeped  within,  like  so  many  persons  seeking 
a  free  survey  of  a  circus. 

Suspecting  that  this  was  likely  to  be  his  new 
home  for  an  indefinite  time,  Jack  Carle  ton  was 
quick  to  acquaint  himself  with  the  interior.  The 
structure,  as  I  have  said,  stood  near  the  middle  of 
the  village,  and  was  the  largest  of  the  collection. 
It  is  rare  that  an  aboriginal  building  bears  such 
resemblance  to  those  made  by  the  white  men  of 
the  border,  for  the  American  race  has  never  shown 
any  aptitude  in  architecture. 

Ogallah's  house  was  a  log  cabin,  perhaps  twenty 
feet  long  by  half  as  many  wide.  The  logs  were 
roughly  dovetailed  at  the  corners,  but  none  of  the 
numerous  crevices  were  stopped  by  mortar  or  clay, 


THE    INDIAN   VILLAGE.  151 

and  daylight  could  be  discerned  through  many  a 
rent,  which  in  cold  weather  admitted  the  keen 
cutting  wind. 

A  single  opening  served  as  a  door.  Aboriginal 
ingenuity  could  not  pass  beyond  this  rude  contriv- 
ance, so  having  opened  the  way  for  ingress  and 
egress,  the  builder  was  content  to  hang  a  bison 
skin  as  a  curtain.  This  could  be  readily  pulled 
aside  by  any  one,  and  the  door  locked  by  fastening 
the  corners.  Windows  are  a  sinful  extravagance 
to  the  American  Indian,  and  there  was  not  one  in 
the  village  to  which  Jack  Carleton  was  taken. 
When  the  open  door,  the  burning  fire,  the  hole 
which  answered  for  a  chimney,  and  the  numerous 
crevices  did  not  give  enough  light  for  the  interior, 
the  occupants  went  outside  to  obtain  it. 

Having  put  up  the  four  walls  of  logs  and  roofed 
them  with  branches,  covered  with  leaves,  dirt  and 
grass,  Ogallah  was  content  to  lean  back,  fold  his 
arms  and  smoke  his  pipe  in  placid  triumph.  The 
floor  was  the  earth,  worn  hard  and  smooth  by  the 
feet  of  the  family,  and  the  fire  was  kindled  on  the 
ground  at  the  further  end,  where  the  vapor  found 
its  way  through  the  irregular  opening  made  for 
the  purpose.  There  was  nothing  in  the  nature  of 


152  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

a  chair  or  bench  in  the  place.  Bison  and  deer 
robes  formed  the  couches,  and  the  pegs  driven  in 
the  logs  held  blankets,  bows,  and  furs  of  animals 
(most  of  the  last,  however,  lying  on  the  ground), 
leggings  and  other  articles  worn  by  the  chieftain 
and  his  wife. 

These  two  were  the  only  occupants  of  the 
place  previous  to  the  coming  of  Jack  Carleton. 
Ogallah  was  in  middle  life,  and  had  been  the 
father  of  but  a  single  son,  who  died  while  yet  a 
papoose.  His  wife  was  tall  and  muscular,  evi- 
dently a  woman  with  a  strong  will,  and  well 
worthy  to  be  the  consort  of  an  Indian  chief.  She 
did  not  rush  to  her  husband  and  embrace  him  the 
moment  she  caught  sight  of  him.  Indeed,  she 
had  not  ventured  outside  the  lodge,  though  she 
could  not  have  failed  to  hear  the  unusual  tur- 
moil. 

She  would  not  have  been  human  had  she  not 
shown  some  curiosity  respecting  her  husband's 
companion.  Jack  doffed  his  hat  ahd  bowed  to  her 
with  elaborate  courtesy,  after  which  he  leaned  his 
rifle  against  the  side  of  the  wigwam  and  folded  his 
arms.  The  squaw  surveyed  him  for  a  full  minute, 
during  which  he  stood  as  if  awaiting  her  com- 


THE   INDIAN   VILLAGE.  153 

mands,  and  then,  turning  to  her  husband,  the  two 
held  a  short  but  vigorous  conversation. 

The  wife  must  have  been  expecting  him,  for  she 
was  engaged  in  cooking  some  venison  in  the  usual 
aboriginal  fashion,  and,  to  the  great  relief  of  the 
boy,  the  two  were  not  kept  waiting  for  their  meal. 
Seating  themselves  cross-legged  on  the  ground,  the 
half-cooked  meat  was  taken  in  their  hands,  and, 
with  no  other  utensils  than  his  hunting  knife, 
each  made  his  morning  meal. 

And  so  at  last  Jack  Carleton  was  a  captive 
among  a  tribe  of  Indians  whose  totem  was  un- 
known to  him.  Whether  he  was  to  remain  with 
them  until  manhood,  or  whether  he  was  to  be  put 
to  death  long  before  that  period,  were  questions 
whose  answers  he  kdid  not  dare  try  to  conject- 
ure. 

His  situation  was  a  most  extraordinary  one.  as 
every  reader  will  admit.  He  knew  of  more  than 
one  instance  where  children  who  were  captured 
when  quite  small,  had  become  so  attached  to  the 
rude  ways  and  wild  life  of  the  red  men,  that  they 
refused  to  go  back  to  their  own  people  when  the 
offer  presented  itself,  but  it  was  too  late  in  the 
day  for  such  an  experience  to  befall  him. 


154  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

And  now,  for  a  time,  we  must  leave  Jack  Carle- 
ton  to  himself,  while  we  give  attention  to  other 
incidents  which  are  destined  to  have  a  bearing  on 
his  fate. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

ON    THE    MOUNTAIN    CREST. 

reader  has  not  forgotten  the  encounter 
between  Jacob  Relstaub  and  Deerfoot,  the 
Shawanoe,  when  the  former  plunged  headlong 
through  his  own  door  in  mortal  fear  that  the 
tomahawk  of  the  youthful  warrior  would  be  sent 
crashing  through  his  brain  ;  but,  much  as  Deer- 
foot  despised  the  German,  he  had  no  thought  of 
visiting  injury  upon  him.  Shoving  back  the 
weapon  to  its  place  in  his  girdle,  he  therefore 
strode  off  in  the  forest,  never  pausing  in  his  walk 
until  the  sun  appeared  above  the  horizon.  He 
was  then  many  miles  from  Martinsville,  his  face 
turned  toward  the  southwest. 

Throwing  himself  on  his  face,  he  quaffed  his 
fill  from  a  small,  clear  stream,  whose  current  was 
only  moderately  cool,  and  then,  assuming  an  easy 
posture  on  the  ground,  gave  himself  over  to  deep 
thought. 

The  question  which  he  was  seeking  to  answer 


156  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

was  as  to  his  duty.  He  had  gone  to  the  settle- 
ment to  see  his  young  friends,  and  learned  that 
they  had  started  some  hours  before  on  a  hunting 
expedition.  Such  a  proceeding  was  so  natural, 
and,  withal,  so  common,  that  any  one  expressing 
wonder  thereat  was  likely  to  be  laughed  at  for  his 
words.  The  boys  of  the  frontier  learn  to  handle 
the  rifle  when  much  younger  than  either  Otto 
Eelstaub  or  Jack  Carleton,  and  they  were  some- 
times absent  for  days  at  a  time  without  caus- 
ing any  misgiving  on  the  part  of  their  pa- 
rents. 

Why,  then,  should  Deerfoot  be  perplexed  over 
the  matter,  when  even  the  mother  of  Jack  ex- 
pressed no  fear  concerning  him  ? 

Why,  indeed  ?  That  was  the  query  which 
puzzled  the  young  warrior.  It  has, already  been 
said  it  was  the  custom  of  Deerfoot  to  follow  a  cer- 
tain inexplainable  intuition  which  often  came  to 
his  help  in  his  moments  of  doubt.  In  the  present 
instance,  something  seemed  to  whisper  that  it  was 
his  duty  to  look  after  the  boys,  but  the  whisper 
was  so  low — as  may  be  said — that  he  hesitated  to 
obey  it,  led  to  do  so  by  a  doubt  as  to  whether, 
after  all,  it  was  that  instinctive  prompting  which 


ON   THE    MOUNTAIN    CREST.  157 

hitherto  had  guided  him  so  infallibly  in  many  of 
his  daring  enterprises  and  undertakings. 

It  was  characteristic  of  the  warrior  that,  after 
spending  a  long  time  in  such  anxious  thought,  he 
should  draw  his  Bible  from  the  inner  pocket  of 
his  hunting  shirt,  and  begin  looking  through  its 
pages  for  guidance.  There  were  certain  portions 
that  were  favorites  of  his,  and,  without  searching, 
the  volume  opened  to  one  after  another  of  these 
places  ;  but  seek  as  much  as  he  chose,  he  could 
find  nothing  that  bore  on  the  problem  he  wished 
to  solve. 

"The  Great  Spirit  wills  that  Deerfoot  shall 
settle  the  question  for  himself,"  was  his  conclu- 
sion, as  he  returned  the  treasure  to  its  place. 

It  may  as  well  be  admitted  that  the  principal 
cause  of  Deerfoot's  hesitation  cannot  be  given  at 
this  time.  There  was  an  urgent  reason  why  he 
should  make  haste  to  the  southwest,  and  he  longed 
to  break  into  his  easy,  loping  trot,  which  he  was 
able  to  maintain  without  fatigue  from  rise  of  morn 
till  set  of  sun.  But  the  same  strange  impulse 
which  sent  him  into  the  settlement  to  inquire 
concerning  his  friends,  still  kept  them  in  his 
thoughts. 


158  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

But  he  was  not  the  youth  to  torment  himself  in 
this  manner,  hour  after  hour,  and  he  finally  com- 
pressed his  thin  lips  and  muttered  : 

"  Deerfoot  will  return  in  a  few  days,  and  then, 
if  his  brothers  are  still  gone,  he  will  hunt  for 
them." 

This  was  not  a  satisfactory  conclusion,  but  he 
followed  it  with  his  usual  promptness.  He  was 
in  the  very  act  of  rising  from  the  ground,  when 
his  quick  ear  caught  a  faint  footfall.  Like  a  flash 
he  raised  his  head,  and  observed  a  noble  buck  ap- 
proaching the  water  with  the  purpose  of  drinking 
from  it.  It  was  not  to  be  expected  that  the  ani- 
mal had  any  fear  of  hunters  in  such  a  solitary 
place,  and  he  came  forward  with  a  proud  step,  as 
though  master  of  the  wilderness. 

The  Shawanoe  waited  until  he  was  within  fifty 
feet,  when  the  buck  stopped  short,  and  threw  up 
his  head  as  though  he  scented  danger  in  the  air. 
At  that  instant  Deerfoot  bounded  to  his  feet  as  if 
thrown  upward  by  a  spring-board,  and  with  a 
slight  whoop,  dashed  straight  at  the  animal, 
swinging  his  arms  and  jumping  from  side  to  side 
in  the  most  grotesque  fashion. 

Few  animals  of  the  forest  are  more  timid  than 


ON    THE    MOUNTAIN    CREST.  159 

the  deer,  which,  like  the  bear,  is  found  in  almost 
every  portion  of  the  American  continent.  The 
buck  with  one  swift  whirl  on  his  hoofs,  faced  the 
other  way,  and  was  off  like  an  arrow,  shooting  be- 
tween the  trees,  through  the  undergrowth,  and 
bounding  over  obstructions  as  though  they  were 
not  worth  his  notice.  The  ordinary  hunter  might 
have  found  time  to  fire  one  shot,  when  the  game 
would  have  vanished  like  a  bird  on  the  wing,  be- 
fore he  could  reload  ;  but  the  occasion  was  a  good 
one  for  Deerfoot  to  display  his  wonderful  fleetness, 
and  he  was  in  the  mood  to  do  so.  He  had  made 
his  gestures  and  uttered  his  cries  for  the  very  pur- 
pose of  terrifying  the  animal  into  doing  his  ut- 
most, and  he  did  it. 

With  his  head  thrown  back,  so  that  his  antlers 
almost  rested  on  his  back,  he  plunged  forward 
with  amazing  swiftness  ;  but  when  he  had  gone 
two  hundred  yards,  he  saw  the  same  light,  willowy 
figure  almost  on  his  haunch.  He  even  flung  up 
his  arms  and  shouted  again,  as  if  urging  him  to  a 
higher  rate  of  speed.  And  .such  was  the  truth  ; 
Deerfoot  was  running  as  fast  as  the  game,  and  he 
was  able  to  run  still  faster. 

The  buck  bounded  up  a  steep  slope,  and  with 


160  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

one  tremendous  leap  cleared  a  craggy  rock  in  his 
path.  He  had  barely  clone  so,  when  the  young 
Shawanoe  was  after  him,  going  over  with  a  light- 
ness and  grace  that  showed  no  special  effort.  The 
pursuer  was  on  his  haunches,  and  the  animal,  with 
glaring  eyeballs  and  a  horrified  sniff,  seemed  to 
bound  off  with,  the  speed  of  the  wind.  But  of 
what  avail?  The  warrior  was  not  to  be  shaken  off. 
With  a  speed  which  none  of  his  race  could  equal, 
it  was  only  play  for  him  to  outrun  the  deer. 
Years  before  (as  I  have  told  in  another  place), 
Deerfoot,  for  mere  sport,  pursued  one  of  the  fleet- 
est of  horses,  and  kept  it  up  hour  after  hour,  until 
he  ran  down  the  steed.  He  was  doing  the  same 
to  the  buck.  There  was  not  a  moment  from  the 
first  when  he  could  not  have  launched  an  arrow 
that  would  have  brought  the  game  to  the  ground; 
he  was  near  enough  to  drive  his  tomahawk  into 
the  neck,  but  he  did  nothing  of  that  nature.  In- 
asmuch as  he  was  running  the  race,  he  meant  it 
should  be  a  fair  one,  and  neither  should  take  any 
advantage  over  the  other. 

What  terrifying  imaginings  took  possession  of 
the  buck  when  he  awoke  to  the  fact  that  it  was 
impossible  to  escape  the  dreadful  being  clinging 


ON   THE   MOUNTAIN   CREST.  161 

to  hia  hips,  cannot  be  understood  by  any  of  us,  but 
that  which  followed,  incredible  as  it  may  seem,  is 
an  indisputable  fact. 

The  singular  race  was  kept  up  for  slightly  more 
than  a  mile,  during  every  fraction  of  which  the 
fugitive  put  forth  his  highest  possible  effort. 
Such  a  terrific  strain  cannot  fail  to  tell  upon  the 
most  highly  trained  animal,  and  so,  despite  all  he 
could  do,  the  buck  found  himself  unable  to  keep 
up  his  prodigious  tension.  He  was  losing  ground, 
and  he  could  not  fail  to  know  that  escape  was  out 
of  the  question  :  he  was  as  much  doomed  as  if 
surrounded  and  driven  at  bay  by  a  dozen  hunters 
and  their  hounds.  He  was  still  running  at  his 
highest  bent,  when  he  suddenly  deviated  to  the 
right,  and,  with  shocking  violence,  plunged 
squarely  against  the  trunk  of  a  beech,  and,  foiling 
over  on  his  side,  gave  a  few  convulsive  struggles 
and  died.  Beyond  question,  the  buck,  when 
awake  to  the  fact  that  there  was  no  hope  for  him, 
deliberately  committed  suicide  by  breaking  his 
neck. 

The  young  Shawanoe  paused,  and  looked 
down  upon  the  quivering  form  with  feelings  of 
pity. 


162  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

"Why  did  he  do  that?  Deerfoot  felt  too 
much  sorrow  -to  harm  him  ;  he  only  sought  to 
show  him  he  could  run  the  faster ;  hut  he  will 
run  no  more,  and  Deerfoot  will  eat." 

The  spot-  was  suitable,  and,  within  less  time 
than  would  be  supposed,  the  warrior  was  seated 
on  the  ground,  deliberately  masticating  a  liberal 
slice  of  broiled  venison.  Doubtless  it  would  have 
been  improved  could  he  have  hung  it  in  a  cellar 
or  tree  for  several  days,  but  it  wasn't  convenient 
to  do  so,  and  Deerfoot  therefore  ate  it  as  he  could 
obtain  it,  and  was  satisfied  therewith. 

No  water  was  within  reach,  the  Indian  follow- 
ing the  healthful  practice  of  the  wild  animals 
themselves,  of  not  partaking  of  drink  while  eating 
food. 

The  meal  finished,  Deerfoot  did  not  conduct 
himself  like  one  who  was  still  in  doubt  as  to  the 
course  he  ought  to  follow.  He  had  solved  the 
question  earlier  in  the  day,  and,  though  the  con- 
clusion he  reached  was  not  fully  satisfactory,  he 
resolutely  forced  aside  all  further  thought  respect- 
ing it,  and  gave  his  attention  simply  to  that 
which  was  before  him.  His  dinner  required  only 
a  short  time,  when  he  resumed  his  journey,  if  such 


ON   THE   MOUNTAIN    CREST.  163 

it  may  be  termed.  He  walked  with  his  usual 
noiseless  gait,  in  which  could  be  detected  not  the 
slightest  weakness  or  exhaustion  resulting  from 
his  terrific  run. 

The  young  Shawanoe  was  advancing  toward  the 
mountainous  portion  of  the  present  State  of  Mis- 
souri. The  Ozark  range,  or  its  spurs,  cover  one- 
half  of  that  large  State,  and  their  recesses  afford 
hunting  grounds  and  retreats  such  as  are  sur- 
passed by  no  other  portion  of  the  continent. 

Deerfoot  turned  his  footsteps  toward  a  high 
promontory  some  miles  distant.  It  was  the  most 
elevated  among  many  others,  and  formed  a  land- 
mark visible  over  a  very  extensive  area.  The 
youthful  warrior  did  not  hasten  his  footsteps,  for 
there  was  no  call  to  do  so,  but  he  steadily  ap- 
proached the  mountain,  up  which  he  tramped  in 
his  leisurely  fashion,  until  he  paused  on  the  very 
highest  point. 

The  journey  was  long,  and  when  he  came  to  a 
halt  the  sun  was  far  down  the  western  horizon. 
The  summit  of  the  mountain  was  covered  with 
rocks  and  boulders,  with  here  and  there  a  few 
scrubby  pines.  Nothing  could  be  more  unat- 
tractive than  the  broken,  stony  soil,  but  the  view 


164  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

which  was  spread  out  before  him  who  climbed  to 
the  top  was  enough  to  kindle  the  eye  of  a  stoic, 
and  make  the  heart  overflow  with  love  and  awe 
toward  the  great  Being  who  made  it  all. 

But  the  eye  can  become  accustomed  to  the 
grandest  scenes,  and,  although  Deerfoot  leaned 
on  the  rock  beside  him,  and  allowed  his  keen 
vision  to  wander  over  the  magnificent  panorama, 
it  did  not  cause  an  additional  pulse- beat.  When 
he  had  glanced  at  the  mountains,  the  valleys  be- 
tween, the  broken  country,  the  forests,  the  diversi- 
fied scenery  in  every  direction,  his  gaze  rested  on 
another  promontory  similar  to  the  one  he  had 
climbed. 

It  was  several  miles  distant,  in  a  directly  south- 
ern course,  and  was  nearly  or  quite  two  hundred 
feet  higher  than  the  one  on  which  he  stood.  The 
latter,  like  those  to  which  reference  has  been 
made,  was  of  the  nature  of  a  ridge,  while  the  one 
on  which  his  eyes  were  fixed  was  a  diminutive 
Teneriffe  as  to  its  form. 

While  the  manner  of  Deerfoot  indicated  very 
plainly  that  he  expected  to  see  something  out  of 
the  usual  order  of  things,  yet  it  looked  very  much 
as  if  he  would  have  been  pleased  over  his  failure 


ON  THE   MOUNTAIN   CREST.  165 

to  do  so.  No  painter  could  limn  a  more  striking 
picture  than  that  which  was  formed  by  Deerfoot, 
at  the  close  of  that  beautiful  spring  day,  when,  as 
the  sun  was  setting,  he  stood  on  the  elevation  and 
gazed  across  the  intervening  country. 

His  right  elbow  rested  on  the  top  of  the  rock, 
and  his  right  leg  supported  the  weight  of  his 
body.  The  lower  half  of  the  left  leg  was  slung 
across  the  other,  the  toe  of  the  moccasin  touching 
the  earth.  The  right  hand  dropped  over  the  side 
of  the  rock,  and  lightly  held  the  long  bow  which 
leaned  against  the  same  support.  The  posture 
was  that  of  elegant  ease,  and  the  best  calculated 
to  bring  out  in  clear  relief  the  Apollo-like  splendor 
of  his  figure.  The  luxuriant  black  hair  streaming 
over  the  shoulders,  the  gaudy  eagle  feathers 
thrust  in  at  the  crown,  the  lustrous  black  eyes, 
the  slightly  Roman  nose,  the  rows  of  colored 
beads  around  the  neck,  the  dull  yellow  of  the 
hunting  shirt,  the  quiver  of  arrows  behind  the 
right  shoulder,  the  red  sash,  holding  knife  and 
tomahawrk,  the  gold  bracelet  on  the  left  wrist, 
the  fringed  border  of  his  hunting  shirt  about  the 
knees,  the  brilliant  fringes  to  the  leggings,  the 
pretty  moccasins,  and  the  shapeliness  of  form, 


166  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

limb  and  feature — all  these  made  up  the  poetical 
Indian,  which,  sad  to  say,  is  almost  as  rare 
among  his  race  as  the  black  diamond  is  in 
nature. 

But  such  was  Deerfoot  the  Shawanoe. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE    RETURN    AND    DEPARTURE. 

Tj^ASY  and  negligent  as  was  the  posture  as- 
~^^  sumed  by  Deerfoot  the  Shawanoe,  his  eyes 
were  never  at  rest.  Besting  for  a  moment  on  the 
promontory,  they  darted  to  the  right  and  left 
down  the  valley,  and  even  took  in  the  shifting 
clouds  in  the  sky  above.  But  it  was  the  peak 
which  riveted  his  attention,  and  which  was  scru- 
tinized with  minute  closeness  until  the  gathering 
gloom  shut  it  from  sight. 

It  was  not  fairly  dark  when  he  kindled  a  fire 
on  the  very  highest  point,  and  then  placing  him- 
self so  far  from  it  that  the  glare  could  not  inter- 
fere with  his  sight,  he  looked  out  in  the  night. 
The  darkness  was  such  that  nothing  could  be 
seen  beyond  his  immediate  surroundings,  but  he 
knew  where  to  look  for  that  which  he  expected 
and  yet  did  not  want  to  see.  For  fully  an  hour 
the  Shawanoe  held  his  motionless  attitude,  gazing 
as  fixedly  to  the  southward  as  ever  an  eagle  stared 


168  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

at  the  sun.  Then  that  for  which  he  was  waiting 
appeared. 

From  the  very  crest  of  the  distant  mountain 
peak,  a,  flaming  arrow  suddenly  began  climbing 
toward  the  stars.  Up,  up  it  went,  as  does  the 
rocket  on  a  summer  night,  going  slower  and  slow- 
er, like  an  old  man  plodding  up  hill,  until,  wearied 
out,  it  paused,  and,  for  one  instant  remained  sta- 
tionary in  the  air,  as  if  doubtful  whether  to  push 
on  or  to  fall  back.  The  flaming  point  swung  over 
until  it  pointed  toward  the  ground,  when  it  shot 
downward  with  ever  increasing  swiftness  until  it 
vanished.  It  must  have  struck  within  a  yard  of 
the  spot  from  which  it  had  been  driven  upward. 

It  was  very  rarely  that  Deerfoot  showed  excite- 
ment, lie  had  drawn  his  knife  and  challenged 
the  great  Tecumseh  to  mortal  conflict,  and  he  had 
faced  death  a  score  of  times  in  the  most  dreadful 
shapes,  but  very  rarely,  if  ever,  was  his  heart 
stirred  as  by  the  sight  of  the  burning  arrow  on 
the  distant  mountain  peak. 

He  straightened  up  with  a  quick  inspiration, 
and  his  eyes  followed  the  course  of  the  fiery  mis- 
sile from  the  moment  of  its  appearance  until  it 
vanished. 


THE   RETURN    AN7D   DEPARTURE.  169 

"  They -have  called  for  Deerfoot!  " 

These  were  the  remarkable  words  which  i'ell 
from  his  lips,  as  he  plunged  down  the  mountain 
side  like  one  who  knew  a  question  of  life  and  death 
was  before  him.  Although  Deerfoot  had  formed 
a  friendship  for  Jack  Carleton  and  Otto  Kelstaub 
similar  to  that  which  he  had  felt  for  Ned  Preston 
and  Wildblossoin  Brown,  yet  it  must  be  admitted 
that  they  were  not  the  only  ones  to  whom  he  was 
strongly  attached,  and  in  whose  fate  he  felt  as 
deep  an  interest  as  in  that  of  any  human  being — 
all  of  which  shall  be  made  clear  in  another  place 
and  at  another  time. 

It  was  just  one  week  later  that  Deerfoot  made 
his  appearance  near  the  settlement,  and,  pausing 
at  a  point  which  commanded  a  view  of  the  collec- 
tion of  cabins,  he  spent  several  minutes  in  survey- 
ing them  and  the  pioneers.  He  had  traveled 
many  miles,  and  been  through  some  singularly 
stirring  scenes  since  he  last  looked  upon  Martins- 
ville,  but  the  gracious  Being  that  had  protected 
him  all  his  life,  did  not  desert  him  in  his  extrem- 
ity, and  the  frame  was  as  supple  and  free  from 
weakness  or  injury  as  when  he  faced  the  other 
way. 

8 


170  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

When  the  burning  arrow  summoned*  Deerfoot 
down  the  mountain  side,  he  was  glad  indeed  that 
he  had  decided  the  question  whether  or  not  he 
should  hunt  for  the  boys  as  he  did,  for,  had  he 
done  otherwise,  the  opportunity  that  has  been  de- 
scribed could  not  have  come  to  him  ;  but,  when 
his  duty  was  ended,  the  old  doubt  came  back, 
until  he  had  been  driven  to  return  in  order  that 
he  might  settle  the  question  forever. 

Looking  down  on  the  little  settlement  of  Mar- 
tinsville,  he  studied  the  curious  scene,  for  he  was 
so  close  that  he  could  identify  every  person  whom 
he  knew.  The  settlement,  as  the  reader  has  been 
told,  consisted  of  two  rows  of  log  cabins,  facing 
each  other.  They  numbered  about  a  score,  and 
the  street  was  fifty  feet  wide.  Besides  that, 
each  cabin  had  the  same  space  between  itself  and 
its  neighbor,  so  that,  few  as  were  the  structures, 
they  were  scattered  over  considerable  ground. 

This  ground,  as  well  as  much  of  it  beyond,  had 
been  well  cleared^  and  the  earth  cultivated. 
There  were  horses  and  oxen  to  draw  plows  and 
help  bear  the  burdens.  Besides  the  hunters'  cab- 
ins, there  were  storehouses,  barns,  and  structures 
made  for  convenience  or  necessity.  From  most  of 


THE  RETURN  AND  DEPARTURE.      171 

the  soil  that  had  been  overturned  were  sprouting 
corn,  potatoes,  and  other  vegetables.  The  time 
was  not  distant  when  the  wilderness  should  blos- 
som as  the  rose. 

A  block-house  near  the  middle  of  the  settle- 
ment had  been  half  completed,  when,  so  far  as 
could  be  seen,  the  work  was  abandoned.  The  rule 
with  the  frontier  settlements  was  to  put  up  a 
building  in  which  all  could  take  refuge,  should 
danger  threaten  ;  but  often  the  fort  was  so  hastily 
and  poorly  made  that  it  became  a  matter  of  weak- 
ness rather  than  of  strength.  Colonel  Martin  and 
his  brother  pioneers  reached  the  conclusion  that 
they  were  showing  altogether  too  much  haste  in 
rearing  the  structure,  and  they  deferred  its  com- 
pletion to  a  more  convenient  season.  Their  duty 
to  their  families,  as  they  saw  it,  justified  them  in 
taking  such  a  step,  especially  in  view  of  the  fact 
that  the  Indians  of  the  surrounding  country  were 
not  likely  ever  to  cause  them  trouble. 

The  cleared  land,  as  it  was  called,  was  still  dis- 
figured by  numerous  unsightly  stumps,  around 
which  the  rude  plow  was  pulled  ;  but  here  and 
there  men  were  working  to  remove  them,  and  ulti- 
mately all  would  be  uprooted  and  destroyed. 


172  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

On  the  edge  of  the  clearing,  three  woodsmen 
were  swinging  their  axes  and  burying  their  keen 
edges  in  the  hearts  of  the  monarchs  of  the  wood. 
Deerfoot  looked  at  them  several  minutes,  noticing 
as  he  had  done  "before,  with  childish  wonder,  how 
long  it  took  the  sound  caused  by  the  blows  to 
reach  him.  When  one  qf  the  choppers  stopped  to 
breathe  and  leaned  on  his  axe,  the  sound  of  two 
blows  came  to  the  listener,  and  when  he  resumed 
work,  the  youth  saw  him  in  the  act  of  striking  the 
third  time  before  the  sound  was  heard. 

The  scene  was  one  of  activity  and  industry. 
Even  the  children  seemed  to  have  work  instead  of 
play  to  occupy  them.  The  women,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  were  among  the  busiest,  and  rarely  did  one 
of  them  appear  at  the  door  of  her  cabin.  When 
she  did  so,  it  was  only  for  a  very  brief  while. 

Deerfoot  was  looking  fixedly  at  one  of  the 
houses  near  the  middle  of  the  settlement,  when  a 
squatty  figure,  with  a  conical  hat,  a  heavy  cane, 
and  smoking  a  pipe,  came  out  and  walked  slowly 
toward  a  cabin  only  a  short  distance  off.  The 
Indian  smiled  in  "his  momentary,  shadowy  fashion 
when  he  recognized  Jacob  Belstaub,  whom  he  had 
frightened  almost  out  of  his  wits  a  week  before. 


THE  RETURN  AND  DEPARTURE.      173 

No  doubt  the  German  had  told  the  incident  many 
times  afterward,  and  would  always  insist  he  es- 
caped by  a  veritable  hair's  breadth. 

But  Deerfoot  was  troubled  in  mind,  for  among 
all  whom  he  saw  he  recognized  neither  Jack  Carle- 
ton  nor  Otto  Kelstaub.  It  was  not  likely  that,  if 
they  had  returned  from  their  hunt,  both  would 
continue  invisible  very  long ;  but  when  minute 
after  minute  passed  without  showing  either,  his 
heart  sank. 

The  Shawanoe  knew  a  scene  would  be  probable 
if  Jacob  Relstaub  caught  sight  of  him,  so  he 
avoided  the  wrathful  German.  The  appearance 
of  the  handsome  warrior  moving  among  the  cab- 
ins, naturally  awakened  some  interest.  Men  and 
children  looked  at  him  as  he  went  by,  and  several 
of  the  latter  followed  him.  Deerfoot  saluted  all 
whose  eyes  met  his,  calling  out  :  "  Good  day  ; 
how  is  my  brother  ?  "  in  as  excellent  English  as 
any  of  them  could  have  employed. 

The  Indian,  it  may  be  supposed,  was  known  to 
nearly  every  one  by  reputation.  Most  of  the  set- 
tlers had  heard  of  his  exploits  when  they  and  he 
lived  in  Kentucky  ;  they  knew  he  guided  Otto 
Eelstaub  and  Jack  Carleton  on  their  perilous 


174  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

journey  from  the  Dark  and  Bloody  Ground  into 
Louisiana  ;  they  were  aware,  too,  that  he  could 
read  and  write,  and  was  one  of  the  most  sagacious 
and  valuable  friends  the  settlers  ever  had  or  could 
have.  The  story  which  Jacob  Kelstaub  told  was 
therefore  received  with  much  doubt,  and  no  one 
who  listened  felt  any  distrust  of  the  loyalty  of  the 
young  Shawanoe.  More  than  one  declared  on 
general  principles  that  Belstaub  would  have  been 
served  right  had  the  warrior  handled  him  roughly, 
as  it  was  well  known  he  could  have  done  had  he 
been  so  minded. 

Deerfoot  walked  quietly  along  the  primitive 
street  until  opposite  the  door  of  Widow  Carle  ton's 
cabin.  Without  hesitation,  he  pulled  the  latch 
string  and  stepped  within.  There  was  no  start  or 
change  of  expression  when  he  glanced  about  the 
apartment,  but  that  single  glance  told  him  the 
story. 

Mrs.  Carleton  was  standing  at  the  table  on  the 
other  side  of  the  room,  occupied  with  the  dishes 
that  had  served  at  the  morning  meal.  Her  back 
was  toward  the  visitor,  but  she  turned  like  a  flash 
when  she  heard  the  door  open.  The  scared,  ex- 
pectant, disappointed,  and  apprehensive  expres- 


THE  RETURN  AND  DEPARTURE.      175 

sion  that  flitted  over  her  countenance,  like  the 
passing  of  a  cloud  across  a  summer  landscape, 
made  known  the  truth  to  the  sagacious  Sha- 
wanoe. 

"  Deerfoot's  brother  has  not  come  back  from 
his  long  hunt,"  he  said,  in  his  usual  voice,  as 
he  bowed  and  advanced  to  the  middle  of  1he 
apartment. 

"  0  Deerfoot  !  "  moaned  the  mother,  as,  with 
tremulous  lip,  she  sank  into  the  nearest  chair  and 
looked  pleadingly  toward  him,  holding  her  apron 
ready  to  raise  to  her  eyes  ;  "  tell  me  where  is  my 
Jack  !" 

"  My  friend  told  Deerfoot  that  his  brother  had 
gone  to  hunt  the  horse  that  has  wandered  off." 

"  But  that  was  more  than  a  week  ago  ;  he 
ought  to  have  come  back  a  good  while  since.  0 
Deerfoot " 

"  But  the  horse  has  wandered  many  miles,  and 
it  will  take  my  brother  a  long  time  to  find  him," 
interrupted  the  visitor,  who  dreaded  the  scene 
which  he  saw  was  sure  to  come. 

"  Do  you  think  they  are  still  hunting  for  him  ?" 
she  asked  with  a  sudden,  yearning  eagerness 
that  went  to  the  heart  of  the  Indian.  He  could 


176  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

not  speak  an  untruth,  nor  could  he  admit  the 
great  fear  that  almost  stopped  the  beating  of  his 
heart. 

"  Deerfoot  cannot  answer  his  friend  ;  but  he 
hopes  soon  to  take  the  hand  of  his  brother/' 

"Oh,  that  will  never  be — it  can  never  be.  My 
poor  Jack  ! " 

Her  grief  could  be  restrained  no  longer.  The 
apron  was  abruptly  raised  to  the  eyes,  and  as  the 
white  hands  were  pressed  against  the  face  her 
whole  frame  shook  with  emotion.  Deerfoot  looked 
steadily  at  the  pitiful  scene,  but  he  knew  not 
what  to  say  or  do.  It  was  a  vivid  illustration  of 
this  strange  nature  of  ours  that  the  youth,  who 
absolutely  knew  not  what  fear  was,  and  who  had 
seen  the  glittering  tomahawk  crash  its  way  into 
the  brain  without  a  throb  of  pity,  now  found  his 
utmost  self-command  hardly  able  to  save  him 
from  breaking  down  as  utterly  as  did  the  parent 
before  him.  He  hastily  swallowed  the  lump  that 
kept  rising  in  his  throat,  blinked  his  eyes  very 
rapidly,  coughed,  fidgeted  on  the  bench  whereon 
he  sat,  and,  finally,  looked  away  and  upward  at 
the  rude  rafters,  so  as  to  avoid  the  sight  of  the 
sobbing  woman. 


THE  RETURN  AND  DEPARTURE.      177 

et  Deerfoot  is  a  pappoose,"  he  muttered  angrily, 
"  that  he  weeps  when  he  knows  not  what  for  ;  he 
is  a  dog  that  whines  before  his  master  strikes 
him." 

A  brief  but  resolute  struggle  gave  him  the 
mastery  over  his  emotions,  though  for  a  few 
seconds  he  dared  not  look  towards  his  hostess. 
When  he  timidly  ventured  to  do  so,  she  was 
rubbing  her  eyes  with  the  corner  of  her  apron. 
The  tempest  of  grief  had  passed,  and  she  was 
regaining  mastery  of  herself,  thereby  rendering 
great  help  to  the  valiant  warrior. 

"I  know  that  it  may  be  possible  that  Jack 
and  Otto  have  gone  on  a  longer  hunt  than  before, 
but  they  did  not  expect  to  be  away  more  than 
three  or  four  days,  and  Jack  would  not  willingly 
bring  sorrow  to  his  mother." 

"  My  brother  may  have  gone  so  far  that  he 
has  lost  his  way,  and  is  slow  in  finding  it 
again/7 

"  Do  you  think  so,  Deerfoot  ?  " 

The  Indian  fidgeted,  but  he  could  not  avoid  an 
answer. 

"  Deerfoot  does  not  know  ;  he  cannot  think 
right ;  he  is  in  sore  trouble  for  his  brothers." 


178  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

"  No  one  can  help  them  like  you.  0  Deerfoot, 
won't  you  find  my  Jack  and  bring  him  home  to 
me  ?  " 

The  youthful  warrior  rose  to  his  feet,  and 
looking  her  in  the  face,  spoke  the  words,  "/ 
ivill!"  Then  he  turned  and  strode  out  of  the 
door. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

A   PERPLEXING    QUESTION. 

T^EERFOOT,  the  Shawanoe,  had  entered  upon 
~L^  the  most  difficult  task  of  his  life.  He  had 
undertaken  to  follow  up  and  befriend  the  youths 
who  had  disappeared  more  than  a  week  previous, 
and  who  had  left  not  the  slightest  clue  as  to 
where  they  had  gone,  nor  what  direction  they  had 
taken. 

In  these  days,  when  a  friend  sets  out  to  trace  a 
person  who  is  seeking  to  hide  himself,  he  is  always 
ahle  to  pick  up  some  knowledge  that  will  give 
valuable  help  in  his-  search.  The  habits  of  the 
individual,  some  intentions,  or  rather  wishes,  to 
which  he  may  have  given  utterance  a  long  time 
before,  his  little  peculiarities  of  manner,  which  are 
sure  to  betray  themselves,  no  matter  how  complete 
the  disguise — these,  and  other  points,  are  certain 
to  afford  the  help  the  hunter  through  the  cities 
and  towns  and  country  requires. 

But  my  reader  will  observe  the  vast  difference 


180  CAMP-FIRE  AND   WIGWAM. 

between  a  case  such  as  occurs  every  day,  and  that 
which  confronted  the  young  Indian.  Two  'boys 
had  gone  into  the  woods  more  than  a  week  before, 
on  a  long  hunt,  and  were  now  missing  ;  it  was  his 
task  to  find  them.  Could  it  be  done  ? 

Had  Deerfoot  taken  up  the  pursuit  shortly 
after  the  departure  of  the  boys,  he  could  have 
sped  over  their  trail  like  a  bloodhound.  There 
could  have  been  no  escaping  him  ;  but  since  they 
left  home,  rain  had  fallen,  and  even  that  marvel 
of  canine  sagacity  could  not  have  trailed  them 
through  the  wilderness.  It  was  idle,  therefore, 
for  Deerfoot  to  seek  for  that  which  did  not  exist  ; 
no  trail  was  to  be  found ;  at  least,  none  in  that 
neighborhood.  In  all  his  calculations,  he  did  not 
build  the  slightest  hope  on  that  foundation.  Had 
he  done  so,  he  would  have  sought  to  take  up  the 
shadowy  footprints  from  where  the  boys  left  the 
settlement ;  but  the  utmost  he  did  was  to  learn 
the  general  direction  taken  by  them,  when  they 
entered  upon  one  of  the  wildest  expeditions  that 
can  be  imagined. 

Hundreds  and  thousands  of  square  miles  of 
mountain  and  forest  were  spread  out  before  him. 
The  vast  territory  of  Louisiana,  as  it  was  then 


A   PERPLEXING   QUESTION.  181 

called,  stretched  away  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and 
spread  toward  the  setting  sun  until  stopped  by 
the  walls  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  youth 
could  spend  his  life  in  wandering  over  that  pro- 
digious area,  without  coming  upon  or  gaining  the 
slightest  traces  of  a  thousand  people  whom  he 
might  wish  to  find.  The  conclusion  was  inevita- 
ble that  he  must  pursue  some  intelligent  course, 
or  he  never  could  succeed. 

It  should  be  said  that  Deerfoot  had  not  the 
slightest  doubt  of  a  grave  misfortune  having  be- 
fallen his  friends.  Jack  Carleton  never  would 
willingly  remain  from  home  for  so  long  a  period  ; 
he  was  too  affectionate  a  son  to  grieve  his  mother 
by  such  a  course.  He  and  Otto  Relstaub,  there- 
fore, were  either  prisoners  in  the  hands  of  Indians, 
or  they  had  been  put  to  death. 

Just  the  faintest  possible  fear  troubled  the 
young  Shawanoe.  He  recalled  the  incidents 
which  had  marked  the  journey  of  himself  and 
the  boys  from  Kentucky,  only  a  short  time  before. 
The  Shawanoes,  the  fiercest  and  most  cunning  of 
all  the  Indian  tribes,  had  not  only  pursued  them 
to  the  river's  edge,  but  had  followed  them  across 
the  Mississippi,  coming  within  a  hair's  breadth  of 


182  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

destroying  the  two  boys  who  were  making  such 
haste  toward  Martinsville.  Had  any  of  those 
Shawanoes  pushed  the  pursuit  still  further  ? 
Had  they  lingered  near  the  settlement,  awaiting 
just  such  an  opportunity  as  was  given  by  Jack 
and  Otto  when  they  went  off  on  their  hunt  ? 

This  was  the  phase  of  the  question  which  for  a 
long  time  tortured  Deerfoot.  He  felt  that  it  was 
improbable  that  danger  existed  in  that  shape. 
The  Shawanoes  had  no  special  cause  for  enmity 
against  the  boys.  If  they  should  venture  into 
Louisiana  to  revenge  themselves  upon  any  one, 
it  would  be  upon  Deerfoot.  Nothing  was  more 
certain  than  that  he  had  not  been  molested  by 
any  of  his  old  enemies,  for  a  good  many  days 
previously,  nor  had  they  been  anywhere  near  him 
during  that  period. 

But  the  cunning  Indian,  like  his  shrewd  white 
brother,  may  do  the  very  thing  least  expected. 
Might  they  not  capture  and  make  off  with  the 
boys,  for  the  very  purpose  of  leading  Deerfoot  on 
a  long  pursuit,  in  which  the  advantage  would  be 
wholly  against  him  ? 

But  the  field  of  conjecture  thus  opened  was 
limitless.  Deerfoot  might  have  spent  bours  in 


A   PERPLEXING    QUESTION.  183 

theorizing  .and  speculating,  and  still  have  been  as 
far  from  the  truth  as  at  the  beginning  ;  he  might 
have  formed  schemes,  perfect  in  every  detail,  only 
\  to  find,  on  investigation,  that  they  were  wrong  in 
every  particular.  The  elaborate  structures  which 
the  detective  rears  are  often  builded  on  sand,  and 
tumble  to  fragments  on  the  slightest  touch. 

Deerfoot  was  convinced  that  the  boys  either 
were  captives  in  the  hands  of  Indians,  or  they 
were  dead.  Had  they  been  slain  by  red  men — 
and  it  was  not  conceivable  that  both  could  have 
met  death  in  any  other  way — it  was  useless  to 
hunt  for  their  remains,  since  only  fortunate 
chance  could  end  a  search  that  might  last  a  cen- 
tury. 

But  if  the  boys  had  been  carried  off,  there  was 
hope  of  gaining  trace  of  them,  though  that  might 
involve  endless  wanderings  to  and  fro,  through  the 
mountains  and  wilderness.  Such  a  hunt,  prose- 
cuted on  a  systematic  plan  for  a  certain  time, 
without  any  results,  would  satisfy  Deerfoot  that 
the  boys,  like  many  older  ones,  had  met  their 
death  in  the  lonely  depths  of  the  wilderness, 
where  no  human  eye  would  ever  look  upon  them 
again. 


184  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

My  reader,  who  has  been  let  into  the  secret  of 
the  boys'  disappearance,  will  perceive  that  Deer- 
foot  was  hovering  around  the  truth,  though  he 
was  still  barred  by  difficulties  almost  insurmount- 
able. 

Suppose  he  should  make  up  his  mind  that  Jack 
and  Otto  were  at  that  moment  with  the  red  men, 
in  what  manner — except  by  an  almost  intermina- 
ble search — could  he  learn  what  tribe  held  them 
prisoners  ? 

In  the  autumn  of  1778,  Frances  Slocum,  a  little 
girl  five  years  old,  was  stolen  from  her  home  in 
Wyoming  Valley,  and  carried  away  by  Delaware 
Indians.  For  a  period  of  fifty-nine  years  the 
search  for  her  was  prosecuted  with  more  or  less 
earnestness.  Thousands  of  dollars  were  spent, 
scores  of  persons  were  engaged  at  the  same  time 
in  the  hunt,  journeys  were  made  among  the  West-  " 
ern  tribes,  friendly  Indians  themselves  were  en- 
listed in  the  work,  and  yet,  although  the  searchers 
were  often  within  a  few  miles  of  her,  they  never 
picked  up  the  first  clue.  After  the  lapse  of  more 
than  half  a  century,  when  all  hope  had  been  aban- 
doned by  the  surviving  friends,  the  whereabouts 
of  the  woman  became  known,  through  an  occur- 


A   PERPLEXING   QUESTION.  185 

rence  that  was  as  purely  an  accident  as  was  any- 
thing that  ever  took  place  in  this  world. 

Admitting  the  unapproachable  woodcraft  and 
skill  of  the  young  Shawanoe,  yet  he  could  not  do 
the  impossible.  Could  he  be  spared  a  hundred 
years,  possibly  he  might  make  the  grand  round  of 
his  people  on  the  American  continent,  but  in  the 
meantime,  what  of  his  friends  for  whom  he  would 
be  making  this  extended  tour  ? 

If  so  it  should  be  that  the  boys  were  in  the 
power  of  the  Shawanoes,  or  Miamis,  or  Delawares, 
they  were  far  to  the  east  of  the  Mississippi ;  if 
with  the  Wyandots,  they  were  also  east  of  the 
Father  of  Waters,  and  probably  in  the  vicinity  of 
Lake  Erie  ;  if  with  the  Ojibwas,  to  the  northward 
along  Lake  Huron ;  if  with  the  Ottawas,  they 
were  the  same  distance  north,  but  on  the  shores 
of  Lake  Michigan  ;  if  with  the  Pottawatomies, 
further  south  on  the  same  lake  ;  if  in  the  villages 
of  the  Kickapoos,  or  Winnebagoes,  or  Menomo- 
nies,  it  was  on  the  southern  and  western  shores  of 
the  same  body  of  water ;  if  with  the  Ottigamies, 
or  Sacs,  or  Foxes,  or  in  the  land  of  the  Assino- 
boine,  the  hunt  must  be  of  the  most  prolonged 
character. 


186  CAMP-FIRE   AND    WIGWAM. 

Still  further,  the  vast  bulk  of  the  western  con- 
tinent stretched  westward  toward  the  Pacific. 
When  Deerfoot  faced  the  setting  sun,  he  knew  he 
was  looking  over  the  rini  of  one  of  the  grandest 
countries  of  the  globe.  He  had  fair  ideas  of  the 
vast  prairies,  enormous  streams,  prodigious  moun- 
tains and  almost  illimitable  area,  which  awaited 
the  development  of  the  coming  centuries. 

One  other  suggestive  fact  was  known  to  Deer- 
foot  :  representatives  of  the  Indian  tribes  among 
the  foothills  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  had  ex- 
changed shots  with  the  white  explorers  on  the 
banks  of  the  Mississippi.  It  is  an  error  to  sup- 
pose that  the  American  savage  confines  his  wan- 
derings to  a  limited  space.  The  majority  do  so, 
but,  as  I  have  said,  the  race  produces  in  its  way 
its  quota  of  venturesome  explorers,  who  now  and 
then  are  encountered  many  hundreds  of  miles 
from  home. 

Within  the  preceding  few  weeks,  Deerfoot  had 
met  two  warriors  among  the  Ozark  mountains, 
who,  he  saw  at  a  glance,  came  from  a  long  distance 
and  probably  had  never  before  been  in  that  sec- 
tion. Neither  they  nor  Deerfoot  could  speak  a 
word  the  other  could  understand,  but  the  sign 


A   PERPLEXING    QUESTION.  187 

language  is  universal  among  the  North  American 
Indians,  and  they  were  soon  conversing  like  a 
party  of  trained  mutes. 

To  the  amazement  of  the  young  Shawanoe,  he 
learned  they  were  on  their  way  to  the  Mississippi. 
They  either  would  not  or  could  not  make  clear 
their  errand,  but  Deerfoot  suspected  it  was  that 
of  gaining  a  glimpse  of  the  civilization  which  as 
yet  had  not  appeared  in  the  West.  Though  the 
strangers  were  somewhat  shy  and  suspicious,  they 
offered  no  harm  to  the  young  Shawanoe,  who,  of 
course,  showed  only  friendship  toward  them. 
From  them  he  gained  not  a  little  rude  informa- 
tion of  the  marvelous  region  which  has  since  be- 
come familiar  to  the  world. 

The  fear,  therefore,  of  Deerfoot  was  that  some 
wandering  band  from  the  extreme  West  had  cap- 
tured the  boys,  and  were  at  that  very  hour  push- 
ing toward  the  Pacific  with  them.  It  would  re- 
quire a  long,  long  time  to  learn  the  truth,  which, 
in  all  probability,  would  prove  a  bitter  disappoint- 
ment. 

From  what  has  been  said  in  this  fragmentary 
manner,  the  reader  may  gain  an  idea  of  the  almost 
infinite  difficulties  by  which  Deerfoot  was  con- 


188  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

fronted.  Like  a  trained  detective,  however,  he 
saw  that  much  valuable  time  had  been  lost  and  a 
start  must  be  made  without  further  delay  ;  and, 
furthermore,  that  the  first  step  must  be  based  on 
something  tangible,  or  it  would  come  to  naught. 
The  element  of  chance  plays  a  leading  part  in 
such  problems,  and  it  may  be  questioned  whether 
luck  is  not  often  a  more  powerful  helper  than 
skill. 

After  leaving  the  settlement,  Deerfoot  naturally 
climbed  to  the  nearest  elevation  which  gave  a  view 
of  the  surrounding  country,  and  it  was  while  he 
was  looking  over  the  scene  that  his  thoughts  took 
the  turn  indicated  by  the  preceding  part  of  this 
chapter. 

It  may  be  said  that  that  for  which  he  was 
searching  was  a  starting  point.  "Where  shall  I 
begin  ?  "  was  the  question  which  remained  un- 
answered until  the  sun  was  half  way  to  meridian. 

The  principal  view  of  the  young  warrior  was  to 
the  south  and  west,  for  the  conviction  was  strong 
that  thither  he  must  look  for  the  shadowy  clue 
which  he  prayed  might  lead  him  to  success.  Sev- 
eral miles  southward  a  camp-fire  was  burning,  as 
was  shown  by  the  bluish  vapor  that  seemed  to 


A    PERPLEXING    QUESTION.  189 

stand  still  against  the  clear  sky  ;  the  same  dis- 
tance to  the  southeast  was  a  slighter  evidence  of 
another  camp-fire,  while  to  the  southwest  was  still 
another,  the  vapor  so  thin  and  faint  that  the  ex- 
perienced eye  of  the  Shuwanoe  told  him  the  party 
spending  the  previous  night  there  had  gone  early 
in  the  morning,  leaving  the  fire  to  burn  itself 
slowly  out. 

Evidently  the  thing  for  Deerfoot  to  do  was  to 
visit  one  or  all  of  the  camps  in  quest  of  the  clue 
which  the  chances  were  a  thousand  to  one  he 
would  never  find.  Which  should  he  first  seek  ? 

The  bravest  of  men  has  a  tinge  of  superstition 
in  his  nature,  and  with  all  of  Deerfoot's  daring 
and  profoundly  devout  nature,  he  was  as  super- 
stitious in  some  respects  as  a  child.  He  could  not 
decide  by  means  of  his  Bible  the  precise  course  to 
follow,  for  one  of  his  principles  was  that  he  alone 
must  determine  his  precise  course  of  action,  the 
Great  Spirit  holding  him  accountable  only  for  the 
manner  in  which  he  did,  or  sought  to  do,  that 
which  he  clearly  saw  was  his  duty. 

The  hunting  knife  was  whipped  from  his  girdle, 
and,  holding  the  point  between  his  thumb  and 
.finger,  he  flung  it  a  rod  above  his  head.  It  turned 


190  CAMP-FIRE   ASD    WIGWAM. 

over  and  over  in  going  up  and  descending ,  and, 
when  it  struck  the  ground,  landed  on  the  hilt. 
Deerfoot  looked  down  on  the  implement  and  saw 
that  the  point  was  turned  toward  the  camp-fire 
which  was  furthest  west. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

TWO    ACQUAINTANCES   AND    FRIENDS. 

f  I  ^HE  question  was  settled.     Nothing  short  of 
"-*~    positive  knowledge  could  have  led  Deerfoot 
to   change  his  mind   as   to  the  right  course   to 
pursue. 

Stooping  over,  he  picked  up  his  hunting  knife, 
thrust  it  in  his  girdle,  and  strode  down  the  slope 
in  the  direction  of  the  camp,  which  he  knew  was 
deserted  early  that  morning.  It  was  a  long  way 
to  travel,  but  it  was  nothing  to  the  lissome  war- 
rior, who  would  have  broken  into  a  run  could  he 
have  felt  any  assurance  of  gaining  any  benefit  by 
doing  so. 

Climbing  around  the  boulders  and  rocks,  leap- 
ing over  chasms,  pushing  through  matted  under- 
growth, and  turning  aside  only  when  forced  to  do 
so,  Deerfoot  pressed  to  the  southwest  until  three- 
fourths  of  the  distance  was  passed.  Most  of  that 
time  the  shadowy  vapor  had  been  beyond  sight, 
for  he  did  not  take  the  trouble  to  look  for  it  when 


192  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

the  intervening  vegetation  interfered.  He  could 
not  make  any  mistake  as  to  the  right  course,  and 
it  was  therefore  unnecessary  for  him  to  take  his 
bearings  ;  but  now,  when  he  knew  he  could  not  be 
far  from  his  destination,  he  came  to  the  surface, 
as  it  may  be  said  of  a  diver  in  an  emerald  sea, 
and  indulged  in  a  deliberate  survey  of  his  sur- 
roundings. 

The  first  glance  at  the  camp  caused  his  eyes  to 
sparkle,  for  it  conveyed  an  interesting  fact :  in- 
stead of  the  smoke  being  so  thin  that  it  was 
scarcely  visible,  it  was  much  denser  and  more 
plenteous.  That  simply  showed  that  the  camp 
was  no  longer  a  deserted  one.  Whoever  had  gone 
away  in  the  morning  had  returned,  and  was  at 
that  moment  on  the  ground.  More  than  likely 
there  were  several  of  them,  and,  as  the  day  was 
half  gone,  they  were  preparing  their  noontide 
meal. 

At  any  rate  the  Shawanoe  was  sure  to  find 
some  one  there,  and  he  hastened  his  footsteps, 
though  he  could  feel  but  slight  hope  that  what- 
ever he  saw  or  learned  would  have  a  bearing  on 
the  business  in  which  his  whole  soul  was  en- 
gaged. 


TWO    ACQUAINTANCES   AND   FRIENDS.         193 

Deerfoot  approached  the  camp  with  his  usual 
caution,  his  supposition  being  that  a  company  of 
Indians  were  resting  there  for  a  "brief  time.  If 
they  were  Osages,  or,  indeed,  any  other  tribe,  ex- 
cept Hurons  or  Wyandots,  he  would  not  hesitate 
to  go  forward  and  greet  them,  for  there  ought  to 
be  no  danger  incurred  in  doing  so.  The  same 
would  be  the  case  with  the  whites,  though  some 
care  might  be  necessary  to  convince  them  no 
treachery  was  intended. 

The  first  glimpse  showed  the  Indian  that  only 
a  single  white  man  was  present.  He  was  pre- 
paring dinner,  the  preliminary  step  being  a  stir- 
ring of  the  smoldering  camp-fire,  which  gave 
fortli  the  tell-tale  smoke.  He  was  a  striking  in- 
dividual, though  a  stranger  to  Deerfoot. 

The  fire  itself  was  small,  and  was  burning  in  an 
open  space  where  the  whole  neighborhood  served 
as  a  chimney.  Several  feet  off  was  a  half-decayed 
log,  on  which  the  man  was  sitting,  his  elbows  on 
his  knees,  and  a  long  stick  held  loosely  in  his 
hands.  This  he  used  as  a  poker,  and  it  served 
his  purpose  well.  A  close  approach  to  the  fire 
was  apt  to  be  unpleasant  on  account  of  the  heat, 
so  he  sat  a  short  distance  off,  and  managed  things 
9 


194  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

in  a  comfortable  fashion.  Now  and  then  he  poked 
the  embers  until  the  end  of  the  vegetable  poker 
broke  into  a  blaze,  when  he  withdrew  it  and 
whipped  it  on  the  ground  till  the  flame  was  put 
out.  His  rifle  leaned  against  an  adjoining  tree 
within  easy  distance,  and  the  short  clay  pipe  in 
his  mouth,  from  which  he  sent  out  an  occasional 
puff,  added  to  his  apparently  peaceful  frame  of 
mind. 

The  striking  point  about  the  hunter  was  his 
magnificent  physical  manhood.  He  was  more 
than  six  feet  high,  with  immense  shoulders  and 
chest,  an  enormous  beard  of  a  coal  black  color, 
which  grew  almost  to  his  keen  black  eyes,  and 
descended  over  his  chest  in  a  silken,  wavy  mass. 
He  was  attired  in  the  ordinary  hunting  costume 
of  the  border,  and  looked  as  if  he  might  be  one  of 
those  men  who  had  spent  their  lives  in  the 
Louisiana  wilderness,  hunting  and  trapping  ani- 
mals for  their  peltries,  which  were  sold  at  some 
of  the  advanced  posts  of  civilization. 

Deerfoofc  suspected  the  man  was  the  owner  of  a 
horse  which  must  be  in  the  vicinity,  for  it  was 
hardly  likely  that  he  would  wander  aimlessly 
around  in  the  mountains  and  woods  for  the  mere 


TWO    ACQUAINTANCES   AND   FRIENDS.         195 

sake  of  doing  so,  but  no  animal  could  be  seen, 
and  without  speculating  long  over  the  matter, 
the  young  Shawanoe  walked  forward  to  the  camp. 

While  doing  so,  the  stranger  was  giving  his 
full  attention  to  the  fire  and  his  culinary  duties. 
The  wood  had  burned  until  there  were  enough 
coals,  when  he  arose  and  raked  them  apart,  so  as 
to  afford  a  surface  of  glowing  embers.  Then  he 
turned  back  and  took  up  a  huge  slice  of  meat, 
which  had  been  skewered  on  the  prongs  of  a  long 
stick.  Balancing  this  very  cleverly,  he  held  the 
meat  down  until  it  was  almost  against  the  crim- 
son coals.  He  could  have  done  the  same  with  the 
blaze,  but  he  preferred  this  method. 

Almost  instantly  the  meat  began  to  crisp  and 
scorch  and  shrink,  and  to  give  off  an  odor  which 
would  have  tortured  a  hungry  man.  The  cook 
quickly  exposed  the  other  side  to  the  heat,  revers- 
ing several  times,  when  the  venison  was  cooked  in 
as  appetizing  a  form  as  could  be  wished. 

The  man  gave  such  close  attention  to  his  task 
that  he  never  turned  his  head  to  observe  the  figure 
of  an  Indian  warrior  standing  only  a  rod  or  two 
away.  Having  finished  his  work,  he  carefully 
spread  the  meat  on  some  green  oak  leaves,  ar- 


196  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

ranged  on  the  log.  Its  size  was  such  that  it  sug- 
gested a  door  mat  burned  somewhat  out  of  shape. 

"There,"  said  the  hunter,  with  a  contented  ex- 
pression, seating  himself  as  if  to  guard  the  prize 
against  disturbance  ;  "  the  boys  can't  growl  over 
that — hello,  where'd  you  come  from  ?  " 

He  had  caught  sight  of  Deerfoot,  advancing 
noiselessly  toward  him,  and  the  man  was  startled 
(though  he  strove  to  conceal  it)  by  the  fact  that 
the  other  was  nearer  to  his  rifle  than  was  the 
owner. 

The  Indian  saluted  him  in  his  courteous  fash- 
ion, and  with  a  view  of  removing  his  fears,  walked 
on  until  the  relative  position  of  him  and  the  man 
were  changed,  and  the  latter  was  nearer  his  gun. 

Then  he  paused,  retaining  his  standing  position, 
and  with  a  slight  smile,  said  : 

"  Deerfoot  is  glad  that  his  brother  is  not  ill." 

Undoubtedly  that  brother  was  relieved  to  find 
in  case  of  dispute  he  could  reach  his  gun  before 
the  dusky  youth,  but  he  could  hardly  believe  the 
warrior  voluntarily  gave  up  the  enormous  advan- 
tage thus  held  for  a  moment  or  two.  Throwing  his 
shoulders  back,  he  looked  straight  in  the  eyes  of 
Deerfoot,  and  then  rising  to  his  feet,  extended  his 


TWO   FRIENDS   AND   ACQUAINTANCES.         197 

hand.  As  if  conscious  of  his  superior  height,  he 
towered  aloft  and  looked  down  on  the  graceful 
youth  who  met  his  gaze  with  a  confiding  expres- 
sion that  would  have  won  the  heart  of  any 
one. 

The  abundant  beard  hid  the  mouth  of  the  white 
man,  but  the  movement  of  the  cheeks,  the  gather- 
ing wrinkles  under  the  eyes,  and  the  gleam  of  his 
white  teeth  through  the  black  meshes,  showed  he 
was  smiling.  Instead  of  saluting  in  the  usual 
fashion,  he  brought  his  hand  down  with  a  flourish, 
and  grasping  the  palm  of  the  youth  pressed  it 
with  a  vigor  which  made  him  wince. 

"  So  you're  Deerfoot,  are  you  ?  I  mean  the 
young  Shawanoe  that  used  to  hunt  through  Ken- 
tucky and  Missouri." 

The  Indian  nodded  his  head  to  signify  that  he 
was  the  individual  whom  the  other  had  in  mind. 

"I'm  Burt  Hawkins— you  remember  me?" 
asked  he,  still  pumping  the  arm  of  Deerfoot,  who 
was  compelled  to  admit  he  had  never  before  heard 
the  name,  nor  could  he  remember  ever  having 
looked  upon  his  face. 

"  Well,  you  have  done  so,  whether  you  remem- 
ber it  or  not :  three  years  ago,  which,  I  reckon, 


198  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

was  about  the  time  you  began  tramping  through 
the  woods  for  the  benefit  of  the  white  man,  I  was 
on  a  scout  with  Kenton  and  some  of  the  boys, 
over  in  Kentucky.  We  got  caught  in  a  blinding 
snow  storm,  and  all  came  near  going  under  with  a 
rush.  Things  got  so  bad  that  Kenton  said  we 
would  have  to  give  up,  for,  tough  as  he  was,  he 
was  weakening.  The  snow  was  driving  so  hard 
you  couldn't  see  six  feet  in  front  of  you.  Cold  ! 
Well,  the  wind  was  of  that  kind  that  it  went 
right  through  your  bones  as  though  it  was  a 
knife.  Night  was  coming  on,  and  we  were  in  the 
middle  of  the  woods,  twenty  miles  from  every- 
where. The  only  thing  we  could  do  was  to  let 
out  a  yell  once  in  a  while,  and  fire  off  our  guns. 
I  don't  think  there  was  one  among  the  five  that 
had  the  first  grain  of  hope.  Kenton  was  leading 
and  I  was  at  his  heels  ;  all  I  could  see  was  his 
tall  figure,  covered  from  head  to  foot  with  snow, 
as  he  plodded  along  with  the  grit  he  always 
showed. 

"  The  first  thing  I  knowed  some  one  j'ined  us — 
a  young,  likely  looking  Injin,  which  his  name  was 
Deerfoot.  He  had  heard  our  guns  and  dropped 
down  from  somewhere.  You're  grinning,  old 


TWO   FRIENDS   AND    ACQUAINTANCES.         199 

chap,  so  I  guess  there  ain't  much  use  of  telling 
the  rest,  'cause  you  know  it.  I'll  never  forget 
how  you  led  us  into  that  cave,  where  you  had 
fixed  up  the  logs  and  bark  so  that  no  snow  flakes 
couldn't  get  in.  There  was  a  fire  burning,  and  some 
buffalo  meat  cooking,  and  we  couldn't  have  been 
better  fixed  if  we  had  been  lodged  with  Colonel 
Preston  at  Live  Oaks  or  in  St.  Louis." 

"  Deerfoot  has  not  forgotten,"  said  the  smiling 
Indian,  seating  himself  beside  Hawkins  on  the 
log ;  i •'  but  my  brother  did  not  look  then  as  he 
looks  now." 

Again  the  head  of  the  trapper  was  thrown  back, 
his  white  teeth  shone  through  his  immense  whis- 
kers, the  wrinkles  gathered  at  the  corner  of  his 
eyes,  and  his  musical  laugh  rang  out  from  the 
capillary  depths.  Burt  was  proud  of  his  beard, 
as  he  well  might  be.  Few  people  in  those  days 
wore  such  an  ornament,  and  those  who  did  so 
were  sure  to  attract  attention. 

"You  talk  like  a  level-headed  gentleman,  Deer- 
foot,  for  all  this  (here  he  stroked  the  glossy  whis- 
kers) has  grown  since  then.  I  shouldn't  wonder 
if  it  did  change  my  looks  somewhat.  You're  a 
blamed  smart  redskin,  Deerfoot,"  added  Burt, 


200  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

who  seemed  to  be  in  high  spirits  ;  "  but  I  don't 
believe  you  can  beat  it." 

It  was  the  turn  of  Deerfoot  to  laugh,  and  he 
did  so  with  much  heartiness,  though  without  any 
noise. 

"  No  ;  the  hair  of  Deerfoot  grows  on  his  head  ; 
lie  would  be  sad  if  it  covered  his  face." 

"  So  would  I,  for  it  would  make  a  confounded 
queer  looking  creatur'  of  you.  I  would  like  to 
see  an  Injin  got  up  in  that  style  ;  just  think  of 
Tecumseh  with  a  big  mustache  and  whiskers ! 
Beavers  ! " 

The  conceit  was  equally  enjoyed  by  Deerfoot, 
who  fairly  shook  with  mirth.  He  recalled  the 
time  when  he  confronted  the  mighty  chieftain, 
with  drawn  knife  and  compressed  lips,  and  the 
picture  of  that  terrible  being,  with  his  face  covered 
by  whiskers,  was  a  drop  from  the  sublime  to  the 
ridiculous,  which  would  have  brought  a  laugh  to 
any  one. 

Burt  Hawkins  evidently  held  his  visitor  in 
esteem,  for,  reaching  out  his  horny  hand,  he  gently 
passed  his  fingers  over  the  cheek  nearest  him,  and 
then  drew  it  across  the  chin. 

No  ;  there's  no  beard  there.     It's  as  smooth  as 


TWO    FRIENDS    AND    ACQUAINTANCES.         201 

the  cheeks  of  my  little  five-year  old  Peggy  at 
home.  It  always  struck  me  as  qu'ar  that  Injins 
don't  have  beards,  but  I  s'pose  it's  because  the  old 
fellows,  several  thousand  years  ago,  began  pluck- 
ing out  the  hairs  that  came  on  the  face,  and 
their  children  have  kept  it  up  so  long  that  it 
has  discouraged  the  industry  in  them  regions. 
See  ?•" 

To  assist  Deerfoot  to  catch  the  force  of  his  illus- 
tration, Burt  gave  him  several  digs  in  the  .ribs. 
This  familiarity  would  have  been  annoying  under 
most  circumstances,  but  it  was  manifest  from 
the  manner  of  the  warrior  that  he  rather  enjoyed 
the  effusiveness  of  the  magnificent  fellow. 

"  Why  is  my  brother  in  the  woods  alone  ?  "  he 
asked,  when  matters  calmed  down. 

"  I  can't  say  I'm  exactly  alone,  Deerfoot,  for 
Kit  Kellogg  and  Tom  Crumpet  ain't  fur  off,  and 
that  meat  thar  is  gettin'  cold  waiting  for  them  to 
come  and  gobble  it ;  if  they  ain't  here  in  a  few 
minutes  you  and  me  will  insert  our  teeth.  We've 
been  trappin'  all  winter  down  to  the  south 'rd  and 
have  got  a  good  pile  of  peltries  ;  we've  got  'em 
gathered,  and  loaded,  too,  and  are  on  our  way  to 
St.  Louis  with  'em  ;  warm  weather  is  comin',  and 


202  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

the  furs  are  beginnin'  to  get  poor,  so  we  shall  hang 
our  harps  on  the  willers  till  cold  weather  begins 
agin." 

"  My  brothers  are  coming,"  said  Deerfoot, 
quietly,  referring  to  two  other  hunters  who  at 
that  moment  put  in  an  appearance. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE   TRAPPERS. 

new  arrivals  resembled  Burt  Hawkins  in 
their  dress  and  accoutrements.  They  wore 
coon-skin  .caps,  hunting  dress,  leggings,  coarse 
shoes,  etc.,  and  each  carried  a  long  rifle  and  hunt- 
ing knife  as  his  weapons.  They  were  rugged, 
powerful  fellows,  whose  long  experience  in  the 
wilderness  had  given  them  a  knowledge  of  its 
ways  and  mysteries,  beyond  that  of  ordinary  men. 
They  were  hardy  and  active,  with  the  faculties  of 
hearing,  seeing  and  smelling  cultivated  to  a  point 
almost  incredible.  They  contrasted  with  Hawkins 
in  one  respect  ;  both  wore  their  faces  smooth. 
Although  far  removed  from  civilization,  they  kept 
themselves  provided  with  the  means  of  shaving 
their  cheeks.  Perhaps  through  indifference,  their 
beards  were  sometimes  allowed  to  grow  for  weeks, 
but  they  made  sure  they  were  in  presentable  shape 
when  they  rode  into  the  trading  post  of  St. 
j^ouis,  with  their  peltries,  and,  receiving  pay 


204  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

therefor,  joined  their  families  in  that  frontier 
town. 

The  three  men  had  been  hunters  and  trappers 
for  many  years.  Sometimes  they  pursued  their 
work  alone,,  and  sometimes  in  the  company  of 
others.  They  trapped  principally  for  beavers  and 
otters,  though  they  generally  bagged  a  few  foxes 
and  other  fur-bearing  animals.  A  hundred  years 
ago,  there  were  numerous  beaver  runs  in  the  cen- 
tral portions  of  our  country,  and  for  a  long  time 
many  men  were  employed  in  gathering  their  valu- 
able furs,  hundred  and  thousands  of  which  were 
brought  from  the  mountain  streams  and  solitudes 
of  the  West  to  St.  Louis,  whence  they  were  sent 
eastward  and  distributed. 

The  trapper's  pursuit  has  always  been  a  severe 
One,  for,  aside  from  the  fierce  storms,  sudden 
changes,  and  violent  weather,  the  men  as  a  rule 
were  exposed  to  the  rifles  of  lurking  Indians,  who 
resented  the  intrusion  of  any  one  into  their  terri- 
tory. And  yet  there  was  an  attraction  about  the 
solitary  life,  far  beyond  the  confines  of  civilization, 
which  took  men  from  their  families  and  buried 
them  in  the  wilderness,  frequently  for  years  at  a 
time.  It  is  not  difficult  to  understand  the  fascina- 


THE   TRAPPERS.  205 

tion  which  kept  Daniel  Boone  wandering  for 
months  through  the  woods  arid  cane-brakes  of 
Kentucky,  without  a  single  companion  and  with 
the  Indians  almost  continually  at  his  heels. 

When  Burt  Hawkins  and  his  two  friends  left 
St.  Louis,  late  in  summer  or  early  in  the  fall, 
each  rode  a  mule  or  horse,  hesides  having  two 
pack  animals  to  carry  their  supplies  and  peltries. 
They  followed  some  faintly  marked  trail,  made 
perhaps  by  the  hoofs  of  their  own  animals,  and 
did  not  reach  their  destination  for  several  weeks. 
When  they  halted,  it  was  among  the  tributaries 
of  the  Missouri,  which  have  their  rise  in  the  Ozark 
range  in  the  present  State  of  Missouri. 

The  traps  and  implements  which  from  time 
to  time  were  taken  westward,  were  not,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  brought  back,  for  that  would 
have  encumbered  their  animals  to  no  purpose. 
When  warm  weather  approached  and  the  fur 
bearers  began  shedding  their  hair,  the  traps  were 
gathered  and  stowed  away  until  needed  again  in 
the  autumn.  Then  the  skins  that  had  been  taken 
from  time  to  time  through  the  winter,  were 
brought  forth  and  strapped  on  the  backs  of  the 
animals,  and  the  journey  homeward  was  begun. 


206  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

There  was  no  trouble  for  the  trappers  to  "float 
their  sticks/'  as  the  expression  went  ;  for  the 
Northwest  Fur  Company  and  other  wealthy  cor- 
porations had  their  agents  in  St.  Louis  and  at 
other  points,  where  they  were  glad  to  buy  at 
liberal  prices  all  the  peltries  within  reach. 

No  trapper  was  likely  to  accumulate  wealth 
by  the  method  named,  but  it  cost  him  little  to 
live,  and  frequently  during  the  summer  he  found 
some  other  employment  that  brought  return  for 
his  labor. 

Hawkins,  Kellogg  and  Crumpet  were  on  their 
way  home,  having  started  a  little  later  than  their 
custom,  and  they  had  reached  the  point  referred 
to  on  the  preceding  night,  when  they  halted  and 
went  into  camp.  In  the  morning,  when  they 
began  to  reload  their  animals,  it  was  found  that 
a  rifle  belonging  to  Kit  Kellogg  was  missing. 
It  had  been  strapped  on  the  package  which  one 
of  the  mules  carried,  but  had  worked  loose  and 
fallen  unnoticed  to  the  ground.  It  was  too  valu- 
able to  be  abandoned,  and  Kit  and  Crumpet 
started  back  to  hunt  for  it.  They  went  on  foot, 
leaving  the  animals  cropping  some  succulent  grass 
a  short  distance  away. 


THE    TRAPPERS.  207 

The  quadrupeds  underwent  a  hard  time  during 
the  winter,  when  grass  was  scanty,  so  that  such 
halts  were  appreciated  by  them.  The  spot  where 
they  were  grazing  was  far  enough  removed  to 
screen  them  from  the  sight  of  Deerfoot,  when  he 
was  reconnoitering  the  camp.  While  two  of  the 
company  were  hunting  for  the  weapon,  the  third 
remained  behind,  smoking  his  pipe,  and,  when  the 
time  came,  prepared  dinner  against  the  return  of 
the  other  ones.  The  meat  was  good,  but  not  so 
delicate  as  the  beaver  tails  on  which  they  fre- 
quently feasted  during  the  cold  season. 

It  has  been  said  more  than  once  that  the  Indi- 
ans along  the  western  bank  of  the  Mississippi 
were  less  aggressive  than  those  who  so  often  crim- 
soned the  soil  of  Kentucky  and  Ohio  with  the 
blood  of  the  pioneers.  Such  was  the  truth,  but 
those  who  were  found  on  the  very  outermost  fringe 
of  civilization,  from  far  up  toward  the  headwaters 
of  the  Yellowstone  down  to  the  Gulf,  were  any- 
thing but  harmless  creatures.  As  the  more  war- 
like tribes  in  the  East  were  pushed  over  into  that 
region,  they  carried  their  vindictive  natures  with 
them,  and  the  reader  knows  too  well  the  history  of 


208  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

the  great  West  to  require  anything  further  to  be 
said  in  that  direction. 

When  Hawkins  went  to  the  beaver-runs  with 
his  friends  in  the  autumn  preceding  his  meeting 
with  Deerfoot,  he  had  as  his  companions,  besides 
the  two  named,  a  third — Albert  Kushton,  who, 
like  the  others,  was  a  veteran  trapper.  One 
snowy  day  in  mid-winter,  when  the  weather  was 
unusually  severe,  he  started  on  his  round  of  his 
division  of  the  traps  and  never  came  back.  His 
prolonged  absence  led  to  a  search,  and  his  dead 
body  was  found  beside  one  of  the  demolished 
traps.  The  bullet  hole  through  his  forehead  and 
the  missing  scalp  that  had  been  torn  from  his 
crown,  told  plainly  the  manner  of  his  death. 

This  was  a  shocking  occurrence,  but  the  fate  of 
Rush  ton  was  that  to  which  every  one  of  his 
friends  was  liable,  and  they  did  not  sit  down  and 
repine  over  what  could  not  be  helped.  The  sad- 
dest thought  connected  with  the  matter  was  that 
one  of  the  three  must  break  the  news  to  the  inva- 
lid wife,  who  lived  with  her  two  children  in  one 
of  the  frontier  settlements  through  which  they 
passed  on  the  way  to  St.  Louis. 

When  Deerfoot  told  Hawkins  the  others  were 


THE    TRAPPERS.  209 

returning,  the  trapper  turned  his  head  and  saw 
that  Kellogg  had  found  the  missing  rifle.  The 
couple  looked  sharply  at  the  warrior  as  they  ad- 
vanced, and  evidently  were  surprised  to  see  him  in 
camp.  Kellogg  and  Crumpet  were  men  in  middle 
life,  strong  limbed,  sinewy  and  vigilant. 

Deer  foot  rose  from  the  log  whereon  he  was  sit- 
ting, and  extended  his  hand  to  each  in  turn,  as 
Hawkins  pronounced  his  name.  Kit  Kellogg 
scrutinized  him  and  shook  his  hand  with  consider- 
able warmth.  Crumpet  did  the  same,  though 
with  less  cordiality  in  his  manner.  It  was  plain 
(and  plainer  to  none  than  Deerfoot)  that  he  was 
one  of  that  numerous  class  of  frontiersmen  who 
regard  the  American  Indian  as  an  unmitigated 
nuisance,  which,  so  far  as  possible,  every  white 
man  should  do  his  utmost  to  abate.  He  had  been 
engaged  in  more  than  one  desperate  encounter 
with  them  and  his  hatred  was  of  the  most  fero- 
cious nature.  It  was  not  to  be  expected,  however, 
that  his  detestation  would  show  itself  without  re- 
gard to  time  and  place.  Kellogg  and  Hawkins 
watched  him  with  some  curiosity,  as  he  extended 
his  horny  hand  and  shook  that  of  the  handsome 
Indian  youth. 


210  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

"  You've  heard  of  Deerfoot,"  added  Burt,  as  lie 
proceeded  to  divide  the  enormous  piece  of  meat 
into  quarters  ;  u  he  is  the  youngster  that  helped 
Colonel  Preston  and  his  friends  from  the  Wyan- 
dots  at  the  time  the  block-house  was  burned." 

"  How  should  we  hear  of  it,"  asked  Crumpet 
with  a  growl,  "  when  we  was  on  this  side  of  the 
Mississippi  ?  " 

"  Wasn't  I  over  in  Kentucky  about  three  years 
ago  ?  I  rather  think  I  was,  and  would  have  been 
froze  to  death  with  Simon  Keuton  and  a  few  of 
the  other  boys  if  it  hadn't  been  for  this  copper- 
colored  rascal — ain't  that  so,  Deerfoot  ?  " 

And  that  the  young  warrior  might  not  err  as  to 
the  one  who  was  expected  to  impart  light  on  the 
subject,  Burt  gave  him  a  resounding  whack  on  the 
shoulder  that  almost  knocked  him  off  the  log. 
The  youth  was  in  the  act  of  conveying  some  of 
the  meat  to  his  mouth  when  saluted  in  that 
fashion,  and  it  came  like  the  shock  of  an  earth- 
quake. 

"Why  can't  you  talk  with  a  fellow,"  asked 
Kellogg,  "  without  breaking  his  neck  ?  " 

"  Whose  neck  is  broke  ?  " 

"  Why  that  fellow's  is  pretty  well  jarred." 


THE   TRAPPERS.  211 

"  Well,  as  long  as  lie  don't  object  I  don't  see 
what  it  is  to  you"  was  the  good-natured  response 
of  Hawkins,  who  resumed  chewing  the  juicy 
meat. 

"  Some  of  these  days,  somebody  will  give  you  a 
whack  in  return  when  you  ain't  expecting  it,  and 
it  will  be  a  whack  too  that  will  cure  you  of  that 
sort  of  business.  I  believe,  Deerfoot,  that  you 
are  a  Shawanoe,  ain't  you  ?  " 

"  Deerfoot  is  a  Shawanoe,"  was  the  answer,  his 
jaws  at  work  on  the  food  just  furnished  him. 

"  I've  heard  tell  of  you ;  you're  the  chap  that 
always  uses  a  bow  and  arrow  instead  of  a  gun  ?  " 

The  youth  answered  the  query  by  a  nod  of  the 
head.  As  he  did  so,  Tom  Crumpet,  who  sat  fur- 
ther away,  vigorously  working  his  jaws,  uttered  a 
contemptuous  grunt.  Kit  turned  his  head  and 
looked  inquiringly  at  him. 

"  Maybe  you  think  he  can't  use  the  bow  and  ar- 
row. I  s'pose,  Deerfoot,  that's  the  bow  you  fired 
the  arrow  through  the  window  of  the  block-house 
that  was  nigh  a  hundred  yards  off,  with  a  letter 
tied  around  it,  and  fired  it  agin  out  on  the  flat- 
boat  with  another  piece  of  paper  twisted  around 
it— isn't  that  so  ?  " 


212  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

Despite  his  loose-jointed  sentences,  Deerfoot 
caught  his  meaning  well  enough  to  nod  his  head 
in  the  affirmative. 

"  Did  you  see  it  done  ?  "  asked  Crumpet,  with 
a  grin  at  Hawkins. 

"  How  could  I  see  it  when  I  wasn't  there  ?  " 

"  I  guess  no  one  else  was  there,"  growled  Tom  ; 
"I've  noticed  whenever  that  sort  of  business  is 
going  on  it's  always  a  good  ways  off,  and  the 
people  as  sees  it  are  the  kind  that  don't  amount 
to  much  in  the  way  of  telling  the  truth." 

These  were  irritating  words,  made  more  so  by 
the  contemptuous  manner  in  which  they  were 
spoken.  Deerfoot  clearly  understood  their  mean- 
ing, but  he  showed  no  offence  because  of  them. 
He  was  not  vain  of  his  wonderful  skill  in  wood- 
craft, and,  though  he  had  a  fiery  temper,  which 
sometimes  flashed  to  the  surface,  he  could  not  be 
disturbed  by  any  slurs  upon  his  attainments. 

Kit  Kellogg  was  impatient  with  his  companion, 
but  he  knew  him  so  well  that  he  did  not  discuss 
the  matter.  Had  not  the  beard  of  Burt  Hawkins 
hidden  his  countenance,  the  others  would  have 
perceived  the  flush  which  overspread  it.  He  was 
angered,  and  said,  hotly  : 


THE    TRAPPERS.  213 

"  It  might  do  for  some  folks  to  say  that  other 
folks  didn't  tell  the  truth,  but  I  don't  think 
youre  the  one  to  say  it." 

Crumpet  champed  his  meat  in  silence,  using 
his  hunting  knife  for  fork  and  knife,  and  drinking 
water  from  the  tin  cup  which  he  had  filled  a  short 
distance  away,  and  from  which  the  others,  except- 
ing Deerfoot,  also  drank.  Instead  of  answering 
the  slur  of  Hawkins,  he  acted  as  though  he  did  not 
fully  catch  his  meaning,  and  did  not  care  to  learn. 
What  he  had  said,  however,  rankled  in  the  heart 
of  Burt,  who,  holding  his  peace  until  all  were 
through  eating,  addressed  the  surly  fellow  : 

"  If  you  doubt  the  skill  of  Deerfoot,  I'll  make 
you  a  wager  that  he  can  outshoot  you,  you  using 
your  gun  and  he  his  bow  and  arrow,  or  you  can 
both  use  a  gun." 

"  He  might  do  all  that,"  said  Kellogg,  with  a 
twinkle  of  the  eye,  "and  it  wouldn't  prove  that 
Tom  was  any  sort  of  a  marksman." 

Crumpet  was  able  to  catch  the  meaning  of  that 
remark,  and  it  goaded  him  almost  to  the  striking 
point. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

DEERFOOT'S  WOODCRAFT. 

"XTEITHER  Deerfoot  nor  the  trapper  wished  to 
~*~  engage  in  the  trial  of  skill  suggested  by 
Burt  Hawkins.  Crumpet  feared  that  if  such  a 
test  took  place  he  would  be  worsted,  in  which 
event  he  would  never  hear  the  last  of  it  from  his 
friends.  He  might  well  shrink,  therefore,  from 
such  a  contest. 

The  Shawanoe  knew  he  could  surpass  the  trap- 
per if  he  exerted  himself,  as  he  most  certainly 
would  do.  Crumpet' s  ill-nature  would  be  embit- 
tered, and  matters  were  likely  to  take  an  un- 
pleasant shape.  When  Hawkins  turned  toward 
him,  therefore,  expecting  him  to  bound  to  his  feet 
and  invite  the  challenge,  he  shook  his  head  : 

"  Deerfoot's  arrows  are  few,  and  he  saves  them 
for  game  or  his  enemies." 

"And  therein  is  wise,"  added  Kellogg,  shrewd 
enough  to  see  the  situation  in  all  its  bearings. 


DEERFOOT'S  WOODCRAFT.  215 

•  *• 

Crumpet  said  nothing,  but  was  greatly  relieved, 
while  Hawkins  gave  a  sniff  of  disgust. 

l{  Some  folks  are  very  free  with  their  tongues, 
but  when  you  come  down  to  business  they  ain't 
there ;  howsumever,  let  that  go  ;  we've  got  our 
extra  rifle,  and  I  s'pose  we  might  as  well  keep  up 
the  tramp  toward  St.  Louis.  Deerfoot,  can't  you 
go  with  us  ?  " 

He  shook  his  head,  and  said  : 

"  Deerfoot  is  hunting  for  two  friends  who  are 
lost ;  he  must  not  sleep  nor  tarry  on  the  way." 

"  How  is  that  ?  "  asked  Burt,  while  the  others 
listened  with  interest.  The  young  Shawanoe  told, 
in  his  characteristic  manner,  the  story  which  is  al- 
ready well  known  to  the  reader.  While  doing  so 
he  watched  each  countenance  closely,  hoping 
(though  he  could  give  no  reason  for  such  hope) 
to  catch  some  sign  of  a  shadowy  knowledge  of 
that  for  which  he  was  seeking,  but  he  was  disap- 
pointed. 

"  One  thing  is  sartin,"  remarked  Burt  Hawkins, 
when  the  story  was  fully  told,  "  them  boys  ain't 
dead." 

"I  agree  with  you,"  said  Kellogg,  with  an  em- 
phatic nod  of  the  head,  in  which  even  the  surly 


216  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

Crumpet  joined.  Deerfoot  was  surprised  at  this 
unanimity,  and  inquired  of  Hawkins  his  reason  for 
his  belief.* 

"  'Cause  it's  agin  common  sense ;  when  two 
young  men  go  out  in  the  woods  to  hunt  game, 
both  of  'em  ain't  going  to  get  killed  :  that  isn't 
the  fashion  now-a-days.  One  of  'em  might  be 
hurt,  but  if  that  was  so,  and  the  other  couldn't 
get  away,  the  Injins  would  take  him  off  and  keep 
him.  More  than  likely  the  varmints  carried  away 
both,  and  if  you  make  a  good  hunt  for  three  or 
four  thousand  miles  around,  you'll  get  track  of 
'cm." 

"  I  think  I  know  a  better  plan  than  that,"  said 
Kellogg,  and,  as  the  others  looked  inquiringly  to- 
ward him,  he  said,  "  both  of  them  chaps  have  been 
took  by  Injins  who'll  keep  them  awhile.  One  of 
these  days  the  boys  will  find  a  chance  to  give  'em 
the  slip,  and  they'll  leave  on  some  dark  night  and 
strike  for  home." 

"  It  isn't  likely  both  '11  have  a  show  to  do  that 
at  the  same  time,"  said  Crumpet,  speaking  with 
more  courtesy  than  he  had  yet  shown,  and  mani- 
festing much  interest  in  the  matter. 

u  No ;   one  will  have   to   leave   a   good   while 


DEEKFOOT'S  WOODCRAFT.  217 

before  the  other,  and  then  the  one  that  is  left  will 
be  watched  that  much  sharper,  but  all  he's  got  to 
do  is  to  bide  his  time." 

"  When  one  of  my  brothers  comes  through  the 
woods  to  his  home,  the  other  will  come  with 
him,"  said  Deerfoot,  confident  as  he  was  that 
neither  Jack  Carleton  nor  Otto  Kelstaub  would 
desert  the  other,  when  placed  in  any  kind  of  danger. 

Deerfoot  was  confirmed  in  his  theory  of  the  dis- 
appearance of  his  young  friends,  for  it  agreed  with 
what  he  had  formed  after  leaving  the  settlement 
that  morning.  But,  admitting  it  was  the  correct 
theory,  the  vast  difficulty  of  locating  the  boys 
still  confronted  him.  They  might  be  journeying 
far  southward  in  the  land  of  the  Creeks  and 
Chickasaws,  or  to  the  homes  of  the  Dacotah  in 
the  frozen  north,  or  westward  toward  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  , 

Kellogg  and  Crumpet  now  fell  into  an  earnest 
discussion  of  the  question,  for,  though  agreeing  in 
the  main,  they  differed  on  minor  points,  in  which 
each  was  persistent  in  his  views.  Deerfoot  lis- 
tened to  every  word,  for,  like  a  wise  man,  he  was 
anxious  to  gain  all  the  knowledge  he  could  from 

others. 

10 


218  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WlGWAM. 

But  he  noticed  that  for  several  minutes  Burt 
Hawkins  took  no  part  in  the  conversation.  He 
had  sat  down  again  on  the  log,  thrown  one  leg 
over  another,  and  was  slowly  stroking  his  hand- 
some beard,  while  his  gaze  was  fixed  on  the  ground 
in  front.  He  was  evidently  in  deep  thought. 

Such  was.  the  fact,  and  just  as  the  lull  came,  he 
reached  his  conclusion.  Deliberately  rising  to  his 
full  height,  he  walked  over  to  where  Deerfoot 
stood,  and  with  another  slap  on  his  shoulder, 
said  : 

"  See  here,  young  man  !  " 

The  warrior  faced  him,  earnest,  attentive,  and 
interested.  Burt  shifted  the  weight  of  his  body, 
so  that  it  rested  on  his  right  leg ;  he  looked  down 
in  the  eyes  of  Deerfoot,  his  brow  wrinkled  as  in 
the  case  when  a  man  is  about  to  deliver  himself 
of  the  most  important  and  original  thoughts  of 
his  life.  Then  he  began  wabbling  the  index  finger 
of  his  right  hand  in  the  face  of  the  warrior,  as  a 
man  with  the  important  and  original  thought  is 
inclined  to  do.  He  commenced  to  wabble  quite 
slowly,  gradually  increasing  the  amplitude  of  the 
vibrations,  and  passing  his  finger  so  close  to  the 
countenance  of  the  Shawanoe  that  it  seemed 


DEERFOOT'S  WOODCRAFT.  219 

almost  to  graze  the  end  of  his  nose.  He  spoke 
slowly,  pointing  his  words  with  his  swaying 
finger  : 

"  Deerfoot,  I've  got  the  question  answered  ; 
listen  to  me  :  them  boys  have  been  tooken  away 
by  Injins  ;  I  know  it ;  now  where  have  the  Injins 
gone  ?  You  ought  to  know  as  much  about  your 
race  as  me,  but  you  don't  ;  do  what  I  tell  you ; 
go  to  the  south  till  you  come  to  some  Injin  vil- 
lage ;  make  your  inquiries  there  ;  if  they  haven't 
got  the  boys,  they'll  know  whether  the  tribe  'that 
took  'em  passed  through  their  country,  'cause  they 
couldn't  very  well  do  so  without  some  of  their 
warriors  finding  it  out.  If  none  of  them  don't 
know  nothing  about  no  such  party,  you  can  make 
up  your  mind  you're  barking  up  the  wrong  tree ; 
then  take  an  excursion  west  and  do  the  same 
thing  ;  then,  if  you  don't  learn  anything,  try 
toward  the  north  ;  there  ain't  any  use  in  going 
eastward,  for  common  sense  will  teach  you  they 
haint  been  tooken  that  way  ;  a  chap  with  your 
good  sense  will  pick  up  some  clue  that'll  show 
you  the  way  through." 

"  My  brother  speaks  the  words  of  wisdom,"  said 
Deerfoot,  who  was  much  impressed  by  the  utter- 


220  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

ances  of  the  trapper  :  "  Deerfoot  will  not  forget 
what  he  has  said ;  he  will  carry  his  words  with 
him  and  they  shall  be  his  guide  ;  Deerfoot  says 
good-bye." 

Arid  with  a  courteous  salute  to  the  three,  the 
young  warrior  walked  a  few  steps,  broke  into  a 
light  run,  and  was  out  of  sight  before  his  intention 
was  fairly  understood.  The  trappers  looked  in 
each  others'  faces,  laughed,  made  some  character- 
istic remarks,  and  then  turned  to  their  own  busi- 
ness. 

Deerfoot  the  Shawanoe  had  determined  to  fol- 
low the  advice  given  by  Burt  Hawkins  the  trap- 
per. It  certainly  was  singular  that  such  an  extra- 
ordinary woodman  as  the  Indian  should  profit  by 
the  counsel  of  a  white  man,  even  though  he  was  a 
veteran ;  but  Deerfoot  had  studied  the  problem 
so  long  that  his  brain  was  confused,  and,  having 
fixed  his  own  line  of  conduct,  he  only  needed  the 
endorsement  of  some  sturdy  character  like  the 
hunter.  He  had  received  that  endorsement,  and 
now  he  could  not  use  too  much  haste. 

His  intention  was  to  journey  rapidly  southward, 
in  the  direction  of  the  present  State  of  Arkansas, 
until  he  should  reach  some  of  the  Indian  villages 


DEERFOOT'S  WOODCRAFT.  221 

that  were  there  a  hundred  years  ago.  He  would 
push  his  inquiries  among  them,  just  as  Burt  Haw- 
kins had  suggested,  pressing  the  search  in  other 
directions,  until  able  to  pick  up  some  clue. 
After  that,  it  would  be  an  easy  matter  to  deter- 
mine the  line  of  policy  that  would  lead  to  suc- 
cess. 

Any  one  engaged  in  such  a  task  as  that  on 
which  the  young  Shawanoe  had  entered,  needs  to 
take  all  the  observations  he  can,  for  the  knowl- 
edge thus  gained  is  sure  to  be  of  great  help.  The 
Indian  scanned  the  country  opening  to  the  south- 
ward, and,  as  was  his  custom,  turned  his  face 
toward  the  first  elevation  which  would  give  him 
the  view  he  was  so  desirous  of  obtaining. 

The  elevation  was  similar  to  those  with  which 
the  reader  became  familiar  long  ago,  and  the  sun 
had  not  yet  reached  the  horizon  when  the  lithe 
warrior  had  climbed  to  the  crest  of  the  ridge,  and 
was  scanning  the  wilderness  which  opened  to  the 
south  and  west.  He  was  in  a  region  where  he  was 
warranted  in  looking  for  Indian  villages,  and  his 
penetrating  eyes  traveled  over  the  area  with  a 
minuteness  of  search  hardly  imaginable  by  the 
reader.  The  country  was  so  broken  by  mountain, 


222  CAMP-FIEE   AND    WIGWAM. 

hill,  and  wood,  that  the  survey  was  much  less  ex- 
tended than  would  be  supposed.  He  was  disap- 
pointed in  one  respect,  however :  he  could  detect 
no  Indian  village  in  the  whole  range  of  vision. 

But,  "besides  the  dim  smoke  from  the  camp  he 
had  left  a  short  time  before,  he  observed  another 
to  the  westward,  and  a  third  to  the  south  ;  he 
concluded  to  make  his  way  to  the  last,  though  he 
half  suspected  it  was  the  camp  of  another  party 
of  trappers,  from  whom  he  could  not  gather  the 
first  morsel  of  information. 

Deerfoot  pushed  toward  the  valley,  less  than  a 
mile  distant,  from  which  the  tell-tale  vapor  as- 
cended, and  was  quite  close  to  the  camp,  when  he 
became  aware  that  an  altogether  unexpected  state 
of  affairs  existed.  Despite  his  usual  caution,  his 
approach  was  detected,  and  the  Shawanoe  found 
himself  in  no  little  peril. 

It  is  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  make  clear 
how  it  was  Deerfoot  discovered  this  singular  state 
of  affairs  ;  but  he  was  more  than  a  hundred  yards 
from  the  camp,  which  was  screened  by  a  dense  un- 
dergrowth and  rocks,  when  he  stopped  abruptly, 
warned  to  do  so  by  that  subtle  instinct  which  is 
like  a  sixth  sense. 


DEERFOOT'S  WOODCRAFT.  223 

He  did  not  leap  behind  a  tree,  nor  fall  on  his 
face  and  creep  to  the  rear  of  the  large  boulder  on 
his  right,  but  he  stood  erect,  using  the  faculties 
of  hearing  and  sight  with  a  delicate  power  and 
unerring  skill  which  were  marvelous  in  the  highest 
degree. 

The  black  eyes  glanced  around,  as  he  slowly 
turned  his  head  from  side  to  side,  and  he  saw 
everything  in  front,  rear,  at  his  right,  left,  and 
above,  among  the  limbs  and  on  the  ground.  He 
heard  the  silken  rustling  of  several  leaves  in  the 
top  of  a  beach  overhead,  and  he  knew  it  was 
caused  by  one  of  those  slight  puffs  of  wind 
which  make  themselves  known  in  that  man- 
ner. 

The  inhalation  through  his  nostrils  brought  the 
faint  odor  of  the  elm,  the  oak,  the  hickory,  the 
chestnut,  the  sycamore,  and  the  resinous  pine.  He 
identified  them,  I  say,  as  well  as  the  peculiar  and 
indescribable  odor  given  off  by  the  decaying  leaves, 
the  mossy  rocks,  and  even  the  rotting  twigs  and 
branches  ;  but  among  them  all  he  detected  noth- 
ing of  a  foreign  nature. 

But  it  was  his  hearing  upon  which  he  mainly 
depended,  though  his  eyes  were  forced  to  their 


224  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

highest  skill.  When  the  pinnated  leaf  of  a  hick- 
ory was  shaken  loose  by  the  wind  puff  it  had 
hardly  floated  from  its  stem  before  he  caught  sight 
of  it,  and  followed  it  in  its  downward  course  until 
it  fluttered  slowly  to  the  ground. 

It  may  be  said  that  the  danger  which  threat- 
ened Deerfoot  was  "  in  the  air."  if  it  be  conceiva- 
ble that  there  is  anything  in  the  expression.  He 
was  as  certain  of  it  as  he  was  of  his  own  existence, 
and  yet  he  stood  motionless,  displaying  an  incred- 
ible confidence  in  his  ability  to  discover  the 
nature  of  the  peril  before  it  could  take  effective 
shape. 

Had  he  leaped  lightly  behind  a  tree,  he  might 
have  placed  himself  on  the  side  which  would  have 
left  him  exposed  to  the  stealthy  shot;  had  he 
dropped  to  the  ground  and  crept  to  one  side  of 
the  moss-covered  boulder,  the  same  fatal  mistake 
was  likely  to  be  made.  Therefore  he  stood  as 
rigid  as  iron,  until  he  could  learn  the  direction 
from  which  he  was  threatened. 

A  rustling  no  louder  than  that  made  by  the 
oscillation  of  a  falling  leaf  came  from  a  point  some 
distance  ahead  and  on  his  right.  So  soft  indeed 
was  the  sound  that  it  cannot  be  explained  how 


DEERFOOT'S  WOODCRAFT.  225 

the  human  ear  could  be  trained  to  the  point  of 
hearing  it. 

But  it  was  that  for  which  Deerfoot  the  Shawa- 
noe  was  waiting,  and  it  gave  him  the  knowledge 
he  sought. 


CFIAPTER  XX. 

SAUK    AND    SHAWANOE. 

AT  the  instant  the  almost  inaudible  rustling 
-*"**-  struck  the  ear  of  Deerfoot  the  Shawanoe, 
he  caught  sight  of  a  rifle  barrel  as  it  was  thrust 
among  the  undergrowth  and  aimed  at  him.  It 
was  the  faintest  possible  sound,  caused  by  the 
pushing  aside  of  the  leaves  which  he  heard,  and 
which  he  was  expecting  for  a  full  minute  to  hear. 
The  lightning-like  glance  cast  toward  the  point 
showed  him  the  dark  barrel,  and  the  ferocious 
gleam  of  the  face  of  an  Indian,  crouching  on  one 
knee  just  beyond. 

The  warrior  who  aimed  the  weapon  meant  to 
send  the  bullet  through  the  chest  of  the  youth, 
whose  approach,  stealthy  as  it  was,  he  had  de- 
tected. The  distance  was  so  slight  that  the  brief- 
est possible  time  was  required  to  make  his  aim 
certain  ;  but  while  in  the  very  act  of  doing  so,  the 
sinewy  youth  vanished  like  a  puff  of  vapor. 


SAUK    AND   SHAWANOE.  227 

The  savage  was  dumfounded,  for  nothing  of  the 
kind  had  ever  occurred,  so-  far  as  his  experience 
went,  and  it  was  unexplainable  to  him.  He  had 
used  the  proverbial  caution  of  his  people,  and  he 
knew  from  the  expectant  position  of  the  youth 
that  his  suspicions  were  excited,  but  he  could  not 
comprehend  by  what  means  he  had  passed  so 
suddenly  from  sight.  The  red  man  was  in  the 
very  act  of  pressing  the  trigger  when  he  discovered 
he  was  not  aiming  at  any  target. 

If  the  Indian  tongue  contained  an  execration,  it 
may  well  be  imagined  that  a  most  vigorous  one 
escaped  the  lips  of  the  baffled  redskin,  who  was 
shut  out  from  his  prize  at  the  moment  of  closing 
his  fingers  upon  it. 

The  warrior  was  a  brawny,  full-grown  Indian, 
almost  in  middle  life,  who  had  sunk  on  one  knee 
and  brought  his  gun  to  his  shoulder,  after  briefly 
studying  the  form  which  had  approached  his  lurk- 
ing place.  He  had  never  seen  the  stranger  until 
that  moment,  and  he  only  knew  that  he  belonged 
to  some  totem  unknown  to  him.  It  was  probable 
that  his  home  was  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  he  resented  the  intrusion  upon 
his  hunting  grounds  as  he  did  that  of  a  white 


228  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

man  :  consequently  he  was  as  quick  to  take  the 
life  of  one  as  of  the  other. 

Finding  that  his  intended  victim  had  disap- 
peared beyond  all  question,  the  next  step  of  the 
fierce  assassin  was  to  solve  the  meaning  of  the  un- 
accountable occurrence.  He  noiselessly  straight- 
ened up,  and  craning  his  head  forward  peeped 
through  the  undergrowth.  All  that  he  saw  was 
the  huge  boulder  or  rock,  within  a  few  feet  of 
where  the  youth  had  been  standing.  It  followed, 
therefore  that  he  had  flung  himself  behind  it,  and 
was  hiding  there  at  that  moment. 

The  painted  visage  glowed  with  a  baleful  light, 
for  he  was  assured  his  triumph  was  postponed 
only  for  a  few  moments.  The  boulder  might 
serve  as  a  shelter  while  the  relative  positions  of 
the  two  were  the  same,  but  it  was  in  the  power  of 
the  savage  to  change  that  by  putting  forth  only 
moderate  skill. 

Taking  care  not  to  reveal  himself,  he  began  a 
guarded  movement  to  the  right,  his  course  being 
the  same  as  if  starting  to  describe  a  circle  about 
the  hiding  place.  It  will  be  seen  that  if  he  could 
accomplish  this  without  exposing  himself  to  the 
fire  of  the,  other,  he  would  not  need  to  go  far 


SAUK   AND    SHAWANOE.  229 

before  gaining  a  view  of  the  opposite  side  of  the 
boulder,  and  necessarily  of  him  who  was  seeking  to 
screen  himself  from  discovery.  To  do  this,  how- 
ever, the  victim  must  remain  where  he  was,  for 
manifestly,  if  he  shifted  his  position  correspond- 
ingly, he  would  continue  invisible,  but  he  counted 
himself  fortunate  that  he  had  noticed  the  peculiar 
configuration  of  the  boulder,  which  rendered  such 
a  manoeuvre  beyond  the  power  of  an  ordinary  war- 
rior. As  for  himself,  he  had  no  personal  fear,  for 
the  trees  were  so  numerous  that  he  could  use 
them  to  shield  his  body  while  leaping  from  one  to 
the  other,  while  in  many  places  he  could  steal 
along  the  ground  without  the  possibility  of  de- 
tection. 

If  the  fool  had  but  known  the  woodcraft  of  the 
youth  against  whom  he  was  so  eager  to  pit  him- 
self, he  would  have  turned  and  fled  from  the  spot 
as  from  a  plague  ;  but  he  had  never  heard  the 
name  of  Deerfoot,  and  little  dreamed  of  the  skill 
of  the  extraordinary  youth. 

The  warrior  stooped,  crept,  leaped,  and  stole 
through  the  wood  with  a  celerity  that  was  aston- 
ishing. Within  a  very  short  time  after  beginning 
the  movement,  he  had  described  one-fourth  of  the 


230  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

circle  and  gained  the  view  he  wished.  It  must  be 
remembered,  too,  that  he  had  kept  the  boulder 
under  such  close  surveillance  as  to  be  morally  cer- 
tain the  youth  could  not  shift  his  position  with- 
out being  observed. 

But  to  his  amazement  he  saw  nothing  of  his 
victim.  The  flat  slope  and  the  leafy  ground  were 
free  from  anything  resembling  a  human  being. 
He  stood  peering  from  behind  the  tree,  and  at  his 
wit's  end  to  know  what  it  meant.  He  held  his 
rifle  so  that  the  hammer  could  be  raised  the  mo- 
ment the  necessity  came,  and  he  must  have  felt 
that  the  wiser  course  was  for  him  to  leave  the 
spot  without  further  search. 

Probably  such  would  have  been  his  course  had 
he  not  heard  a  most  alarming  sound  directly  be- 
hind him.  It  was  the  faint  cough  of  a  person 
seeking  to  clear  his  throat.  The  Indian  turned 
like  a  flash,  and  saw  the  dusky  youth  a  rod  dis- 
tant, holding  his  bow  loosely  in  his  right  hand, 
while  his  terrible  left  was  drawn  back  over  his 
shoulder,  the  fingers  clenching  the  handle  of  his 
tomahawk.  His  position  was  precisely  that  of 
one  who  was  on  the  very  point  of  launching  the 
deadly  missile  which  would  have  cloven  the  skull, 


SAUK   AND   SHAWANOE.  231 

as  though  made  of  card-board.  He  had  taken  the 
posture,  and  then  uttered  the  slight  cough  with  a 
view  of  "  calling  the  attention  "  of  the  party  of 
the  first  part  to  the  fact,  and  he  succeeded.  The 
elder  was  in  the  position  of  the  hunter  who  while 
seeking  the  tiger  awoke  to  the  fact  that  the  tiger 
was  seeking  him. 

The  warrior,  whose  face  was  daubed  with  red, 
black  and  yellow  paint,  was  literally  struck  dumb. 
He  had  been  engaged  in  many  an  encounter  with 
strange  Indians,  but  never  had  the  affray  been  in- 
troduced in  a  more  favorable  manner  to  himself, 
and  never  had  he  been  more  utterly  overwhelmed. 

He  saw  that  the  youth  was  merely  holding  his 
tomahawk ;  the  very  second  it  was  needed,  he 
could  drive  it  into  his  chest  or  brain.  He  was  too 
proud  to  ask  for  mercy,  for  he  had  no  thought  it 
would  be  granted.  He  could  only  face  his  master 
and  await  his  doom. 

Deerfoot  was  not  the  one  to  prolong  the  wretch- 
edness of  another,  no  matter  if  his  most  deadly  en- 
emy. He  stood  with  his  left  foot  slightly  ad- 
vanced and  his  muscles  gathered,  so  that  he  did 
not  require  the  slightest  preparation,  and,  having 
held  the  pose  just  long  enough  to  make  sure  it 


232  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

had  produced  its  full  effect,  he  slowly  lowered  the 
tomahawk,  keeping  his  eyes  fixed  on  his  enemy. 
When  the  weapon  was  at  his  side,  he  said  : 

u  The  Sauk  is  a  wolf;  he  steals  behind  the 
hunter  that  he  may  leap  on  his  shoulders  when 
he  sleeps  ;  hut  the  hunter  heard  the  sound  of  his 
claws  on  the  leaves  and  turned  upon  him." 

These  words  were  uttered  in  the  mongrel  tongue 
of  the  Sauk,  for  Deer  foot,  after  a  careful  inspec- 
tion of  the  painted  warrior,  was  quite  sure  he  be- 
longed to  that  restless  and  warlike  tribe.  He  had 
encountered  the  people  before,  though  at  rare  in- 
tervals, and  he  had  hunted  with  a  pioneer  who 
was  familiar  with  the  tongue.  The  youth  de- 
tected so  many  resemblances  to  other  aboriginal 
languages  with  which  he  was  familiar  that  he 
quickly  mastered  it  and  could  speak  it  like  a 
native. 

The  warrior,  as  has  been  said,  was  a  brawny 
savage,  well  on  toward  middle  life.  He  was  at- 
tired in  the  usual  fashion  among  the  Indians,  his 
dress  looking  slouchy  and  untidy.  His  straggling 
black  hair,  instead  of  being  ornamented  with  eagle 
feathers,  was  gathered  in  a  knot,  so  as  to  form 
what  is  often  called  a  scalp-lock,  and  to  proclaim 


SAUK   AND   SHAWANOE.  233 

the  fact  that  the  wearer  of  the  same  challenged 
any  one  to  take  it  if  he  could.  Besides  his  long 
rifle,  he  carried  his  knife  and  tomahawk,  after  the 
manner  of  his  people.  He  would  have  proved  a 
dangerous  foe  in  a  hand-to-hand  struggle,  but  he 
was  deprived  of  whatever  advantage  he  might 
have  possessed  by  being  taken  at  such  over- 
whelming disadvantage. 

He  caught  every  word  uttered  by  Deerfoot,  who 
had  not  mistaken  his  totem.  He  had  no  thought 
that  the  youth  intended  to  show  him  mercy,  but 
belioved  he  was  indulging  in  a  little  preliminary 
sermonizing — so  to  speak — before  claiming  his 
scalp  for  the  ridge-pole  of  his  wigwam. 

The  words  of  Deerfoot  served  to  awaken  the 
Sauk  from  his  paralysis,  and,  throwing  his  head 
back,  he  said : 

"The  Sauk  is  no  wolf;  the  Shawanoe  is  the 
fox  that  steals  upon  the  hunting  grounds  of  the 
Sauks." 

"  The  lands  that  stretch  to  the  rising  and  set- 
ting sun  belong  not  to  the  Shawanoe  nor  Sauk 
nor  Huron,  but  the  Great  Spirit,  who  loves  his 
children  to  chase  the  buffalo  and  hunt  the  deer 
and  bear  where  they  can  be  found  ;  but  why 


234  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

should  the  Sauk  and  the  Shawanoe  be  ene- 
mies ?" 

And  to  give  point  to  the  question,  Deerfoot  ad- 
vanced and  offered  his  hand.  The  Sauk  concealed 
his  surprise  and  gave  the  fingers  a  warm  grasp, 
but  while  doing  so  each  looked  distrustfully  in  the 
face  of  the  other.  The  frightful  stains  on  the 
broad  face  of  the  elder  did  not  alarm  Deerfoot, 
who  had  seen  much  more  frightful  countenances 
among  his  own  people.  He  gazed  calmly  into  the 
eyes  of  the  warrior,  as  the  two  stood  close  to- 
gether with  their  hands  clasped.  The  Indian  is 
an  adept  in  concealing  whatever  emotions  may 
stir  him,  but  Deerfoot  saw  the  savage  was  puzzled 
over  his  action.  He  could  not  but  know  that  the 
Shawanoes  were  the  most  warlike  Indians  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley,  and  one  of  the  last  weaknesses 
of  which  they  could  be  accused  was  that  of  show- 
ing mercy  to  an  enemy. 

One  point  was  necessary  for  Deerfoot  to  estab- 
lish. If  the  Sauk  was  alone,  nothing  was  to  be 
feared  from  him  ;  but  if  he  had  brother  warriors 
within  call,  the  youth  had  need  to  be  on  his 
guard. 

"  Why  does  the  brother  of  Deerfoot  hunt  the 


SAUK    AND    SHAWANOE.  235 

woods  alone  ?"  asked  the  young  Shawanoe,  in- 
troducing himself  in  this  characteristic  fashion. 

"  Because  Hay-uta  fears  not  to  go  everywhere 
alone  ;  from  the  ridge-pole  of  his  wigwam  flutter 
the  scalps  of  the  Shawanoes,  the  Hurons,  the 
Foxes,  the  Osages,  and  the  strange  red  man  whom 
he  has  met  and  slain  in  the  forest." 

The  old  nature  in  Deerfoot  prompted  him  to 
take  this  vaunting  warrior  to  task.  The  answer 
of  the  Sauk  was  indefinite,  but  the  youth  could 
wait  a  few  minutes  for  the  information  he 
sought. 

"  Hay-uta,  the  Man- Who -Kuns- Without-Fall- 
ing, has  not  taken  the  scalp  of  Deerfoot,  and  can- 
not do  so!" 

The  flash  of  the  eye  which  accompanied  these 
words  added  to  their  force.  Before  they  could  re- 
ceive reply  the  youth  added  : 

"  Hay-uta  is  a  hrave  man  when  he  talks  to 
squaws  ;  less  than  twenty  great  suns  have  passed 
over  the  head  of  Deerfoot,  but  he  is  not  afraid  of 
the  Man- Who-ftuns- Without-Falling/' 

Indian  nature  is  quick  to  resent  such  taunts, 
and  beyond  a  doubt  the  hot  blood  flushed  the 
skin  beneath  the  paint.  Deerfoot  noted  the  glitter 


236  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

of  the  eye,  and  a  twitch  of  the  muscles  of  the  arm 
whose  hand  rested  on  the  knife,  as  he  made 
answer : 

"  The  Shawanoe  is  a  dog  that  crept  up  behind 
the  Sauk,  without  giving  him  warning  ;  the  rat- 
tlesnake speaks,  but  the  Shawanoe  does  not." 

Deerfoot  was  angered  by  these  words  because 
they  were  untrue. 

"  The  Shawanoe  was  walking  through  the  wood, 
when  the  Great  Spirit  whispered,  i  Take  care  ;  a 
snake  is  crawling  through  the  grass  ;  he  is  called 
Hay-uta  ;  he  will  strike  his  fangs  through  the 
moccasin  of  Deerfoot,  unless  he  crushes  him  with 
his  heel ;  Hay-uta  was  not  brave,  because  he  hid 
behind  a  tree,  and  he  pointed  his  gun  through  the 
bushes,  meaning  to  shoot  the  Shawanoe  before  he 
could  chant  a  word  of  his  death-song/ t: 

This  charge  was  an  exasperating  one,  and  in- 
stantly raised  the  anger  of  the  warrior  to  white 
heat. 

"  The  dog  of  a  Shawanoe  holds  his  tomahawk 
and  bow  ;  let  him  lay  them  aside  as  Hay-uta  does 
his  weapon,  and  then  it  shall  be  shown  who  is  the 
brave  warrior." 

It  was  a  curious  fact  that  while  this  wrathful 


SAUK   AND   SHAWANOE.  237 

conversation  was  going  on,  the  couple  had  been 
steadily  backing  away  from  each  other.  The  act 
showed  that  in  spite  of  the  token  of  comity  that 
had  just  passed  between  them,  they  were  mutually 
so  suspicious  as  to  be  ready  to  fly  at  each  other. 
The  last  taunt  forced  the  quarrel  to  the  exploding 
point.  Deerfoot  slipped  the  cord  which  held  the 
quiver  of  arrows  in  place  over  his  head,  by  a 
motion  so  quick  as  scarcely  to  be  perceptible,  flung 
his  bow  a  rod  from  him, .tossed  his  tomahawk  a 
dozen  feet  away,  and  whipping  out  his  hunting- 
knife,  grasped  it  with  his  left  hand,  and  defiantly 
confronted  the  Sauk,  who  was  scarcely  behind  him 
in  taking  up  the  gauge  of  battle. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

CHRISTIAN    AND    PAGAN. 

rTIHE  North  American  Indian  is  treacherous 
by  nature,  and  will  take  any  advantage  over 
a  foe,  no  matter  what  its  nature.  The  Sauk  had 
failed  to  bring  down  Deerfoot  by  the  same  un- 
scrupulous means  he  had  employed  in  other  in- 
stances, but  he  was  on  the  watch  to  repeat  his 
tactics. 

When  uttering  the  taunt  which  brought  about 
the  personal  collision,  he  flung  his  gun  from  him, 
and  seized  the  handle  of  his  tomahawk,  as  if  with 
the  purpose  of  throwing  that  also  aside,  the  manner 
of  his  challenge  implying  that  he  meant  the  battle 
should  be  fought  with  the  knives  alone.  Even 
the  sagacious  Deerfoot  did  not  suspect  him  for 
the  moment,  when,  on  the  point  of  grasping  his 
knife,  as  he  did  when  defying  Tecumseh,  the  Sauk 
drew  back  his  tomahawk  and  hurled  it  with  in- 
credible swiftness  at  the  head  of  Deerfoot.  There 


CHRISTIAN    AND    PAGAN.  239 

was  a  vicious  spitefulness  in  the  act  which  sent 
the  missile  as  if  fired  from  a  gun. 

Nothing  could  have  attested  the  Shawanoe's 
miraculous  activity  and  quickness  of  eye  so  clearly 
as  did  the  ease  with  which  he  dodged  the  weapon. 
The  flirt  of  his  head  was  like  that  of  the  loon 
which  dives  below  the  path  of  the  hullet  after  it 
sees  the  flash  of  the  gun.  The  tomahawk  struck 
the  ground,  went  end  over  end,  flinging  the  dirt 
and  leaves  about,  and  after  ricocheting  a  couple  of 
times,  whirled  against  the  trunk  of  a  small  sapling 
and  stopped. 

The  act  placed  the  two  on  the  same  footing. 
Each  held  only  his  hunting-knife.  The  treachery 
of  the  Sauk  took  place  without  a  word  being 
spoken  either  by  himself  or  his  foe.  It  was  un- 
necessary, for  there  could  be  nothing  to  say. 

Having  avoided  the  tomahawk,  Deerfoot  ad- 
vanced upon  Hay-uta  with  his  knife  grasped  in 
his  left  hand,  while  the  Sauk  did  precisely  the 
same  thing  as  regarded  him. 

They  were  stripped  for  the  fight,  and  were  in 
deadly  earnest.  The  Sauk  had  learned  of  the 
panther-like  agility  of  the  Shawanoe,  and  he  knew 
no  light  task  was  before  him.  It  would  not  be 


240  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

child's  play  to  wrench  the  scalp-lock  from  the 
crown  of  the  handsome  warrior  who  was  not  afraid 
of  any  man,  but  Hay-uta  was  warranted  in  feeling 
a  strong  confidence  in  his  own  strength  and 
prowess. 

The  warriors  approached  each  other  with  the 
watchfulness  of  a  couple  of  gladiators,  seeking 
each  others'  lives  for  the  sake  of  giving  amuse- 
ment to  a  Koman  populace.  Both  slightly 
crouched,  with  their  heads  bent  forward,  their 
eyes  fixed,  while  they  stepped  softly  about,  seek- 
ing an  opening  into  which  the  keenly-pointed 
hunting  knife  might  be  driven  with  a  furious 
vigor,  that  would  render  a  second  blow  use- 
less. 

The  situation  was  one  where  the  slightest  for- 
getfulness  or  mishap  would  prove  fatal  to  him 
who  made  it.  Both  realized  the  fact,  and  did 
their  utmost  to  guard  against  it. 

When  a  couple  of  yards  separated  the  combat- 
ants, they  approached  no  closer,  but  began  slowly 
circling  around  each  other  in  the  same  stealthy 
fashion.  The  action  of  the  Sauk  convinced  Deer- 
foot  that  his  enemy  had  no  friends  in  that  section, 
for,  if  any  were  within  call,  he  would  have  sum- 


CHRISTIAN    AND   PAGAN.  241 

moned  them  before  the  quarrel  had  gone  so  far. 
He  could  have  called  any  one  to  his  help  by 
signal,  and  neglect  to  do  so  was  proof  that  there 
was  none  to  summon.  Had  Hay-uta  done  any- 
thing of  the  kind,  Deerfoot  would  have  leaped 
upon  him  and  ended  the  battle  in  a  twinkling. 

Partly  around,  and  then  back  again,  the  two 
seemed  to  oscillate,  their  motions  corresponding 
so  closely  that  ifc  was  as  if  both  were  moved  by 
the  same  delicate  machinery  between  them. 

Suddenly  Deerfoot  feinted,  like  a  skillful  boxer, 
with  the  hand  which  grasped  his  knife.  The 
vigilant  Sauk  was  equally  quick  to  parry  and 
counter.  He  was  as  spry  as  a  cat,  and  never  once 
took  his  burning  eyes  from  the  face  of  the  hated 
youth.  Then  he  feinted  in  turn,  and  the  Shawanoe, 
by  his  action,  showed  he  was  prepared  for  any 
demonstration,  no  matter  what. 

These  preliminaries  continued  several  minutes, 
when  Deerfoot,  in  moving  to  the  left,  caught  the 
toe  of  his  moccasin  in  some  obstruction  and 
stumbled.  He  threw  up  his  arms,  as  one  will  in- 
stinctively do,  and  for  a  single  second  was  off  his 
guard,  though  he  recovered  with  incredible  quick- 
ness. Any  spectator  of  the  strange  combat  would 


242  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

have  given  a  gasp  of  terror,  for  the  instant  the 
stumble  took  place,  the  Sauk  bounded  forward 
with  upraised  knife  and  brought  it  down  with  a 
sweep  like  that  of  a  panther's  paw. 

But  what  seemed  an  accident  on  the  part  of 
Deerfoot  was  done  with  deliberate  intent.  He 
weaned  of  the  idle  circling,  and,  confident  of  his 
own  ability  to  outwit  his  antagonist,  he  dropped 
his  guard  for  the  very  purpose  of  drawing  out  the 
other.  Hay-uta  was  so  certain  of  his  own  triumph 
that  he  made  the  mistake  which  the  skillful  fighter 
never  makes  ;  he  drew  upon  his  own  strength  and 
self-poise  by  emitting  a  shout  of  exultation  ;  but 
the  downward  sweeping  arm  clove  vacancy  only, 
and  ere  he  could  recover  he  was  struck  in  the 
chest  by  the  head  of  Deerfoot,  who  butted  him 
with  the  force  of  a  Japanese  wrestler,  sending  the 
warrior  several  feet  over  on  his  back.  The  shock 
was  so  unexpected,  as  well  as  tremendous,  that 
the  knife  flew  from  his  hand,  and  he  nearly  fainted 
from  sheer  weakness. 

Inasmuch  a's  Deerfoot  was  able  to  butt  him  in 
that  style,  it  will  be  admitted  that  it  would  have 
been  equally  easy  for  him  to  have  buried  his  knife 
to  the  hilt  in  the  body  of  his  enemy,  but  he  chose 


CHRISTIAN   AND   PAGAN.  243 

not  to  do  so.  Instead,  he  quietly  picked  up  the 
weapon  and  held  one  in  each  hand,  while  the 
Sauk  was  entirely  disarmed.  The  latter  had  been 
frightfully  jarred.  The  blow  in  the  stomach 
fairly  lifted  him.  off  his  feet  and  drove  the  wind 
from  his  lungs.  He  lay  for  a  moment,  with  his 
lips  compressed,  his  body  griped  with  pain,  and 
with  no  more  ability  to  defend  himself  than  an  in- 
fant. He  kept  his  black  eyes  fixed  on  the  youth- 
ful conqueror  while  writhing,  and  the  latter  stood 
off  several  paces  and  calmly  confronted  him, 
as  though  viewing  the  natural  phase  of  such 
a  contest. 

But  the  Sauk  was  quick  to  recover,  and  his 
old  enmity  seemed  to  blaze  up  with  tenfold  in- 
tensity. 

"  The  Shawanoe  is  a  buffalo,"  said  he,  from  be- 
hind his  gleaming  paint;  "  he  fights  like  the  buffalo 
when  his  foe  is  stronger  and  braver  than  he." 

Deerfoot  flung  the  knife  of  the  warrior  to  him. 

"  The  Shawanoe  will  fight  as  a  buffalo  no  more; 
he  will  now  use  his  knife  ;  let  the  Sauk  do  what 
he  can." 

A  brave  warrior  could  take  no  exception  to  this 
declaration,  accompanied  as  it  was  by  such  signifi- 


244  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

cant  action  ;  but  it  cannot  be  conceived  that  the 
Sauk  was  free  from  misgiving,  when  knowing,  as 
he  did,  that  he  held  the  position  of  contestant 
only  through  the  grace  of  his  youthful  antagonist, 
who  a  moment  before  could  have  pierced  his  heart 
with  his  hunting  knife. 

Having  displayed  the  character  of  a  battering 
ram,  Deerfoot  now  assumed  another. 

"  The  Sauk  is  afraid  of  Deerfoot ;  he  dare  not 
attack  him  until  he  stumbles  ;  Deerfoot's  heart 
was  oppressed  with  pity  when  he  saw  the  fear  of 
Hay-uta,  and  he  stumbled  that  it  might  give 
Hay-uta  the  courage  the  Great  Spirit  did  not  give 
him." 

These  were  taunting  words,  but,  convinced  they 
were  spoken  with  the  purpose  of  disturbing  his 
self-possession,  the  Sauk  only  compressed  his  lips 
the  tighter,  and  held  himself  ready  to  seize  the 
first  chance  that  presented  itself.  His  recent  ex- 
perience had  taught  him  a  lesson  which  he  could 
not  forget. 

Bending  his  knees  until  he  assumed  a  crouch- 
ing posture,  the  Sank  centered  his  burning  gaze 
on  the  face  of  Deerfoot,  drew  back  his  lips  until 
his  white  teeth  showed  like  those  of  a  wild  cat, 


CHRISTIAN   AND   PAGAN.  245 

a iid  uttered  a  tremulous,  sibilant  sound,  as  if  he 
were  a  serpent  ready  to  burst  with  venom. 

If  he  meant  to  frighten  Deerfoot  he  failed,  for 
the  mishap  of  the  Sauk  was  too  recent  to  allow 
such  impression  to  be  made.  The  figure  of  the 
crouching  warrior  was  startling  in  its  hideousness, 
but  there  was  never  a  moment  from  the  opening 
of  the  singular  contest,  when  the  young  Shawanoe 
did  not  feel  secure  in  his  mastery  of  the  situation. 

The  feinting  and  retreating  went  on  several 
minutes  longer,  when  all  at  once  Deerfoot  caught 
an  expression,  which  the  paint  on  the  face  of  his 
antagonist  could  not  hide,  that  showed  he  had 
resolved  on  forcing  the  fight  to  a  conclusion.  A 
couple  of  quick  feints  followed,  and  then  Hay-uta 
leaped  forward,  meaning  to  force  Deerfoot  to  the 
earth.  Had  the  Shawanoe  remained  quiet,  such 
would  have  been  the  result,  but  he  was  too  supple 
to  be  entangled  in  that  manner.  He  withdrew, 
so  that  when  his  enemy  landed  on  the  spot,  he 
found  himself  still  confronted  by  the  defiant 
youth,  who  had  recoiled  but  the  single  step  neces- 
sary to  escape  the  blow.  Hay-uta,  without  a 
second's  pause,  bounded  toward  him  again,  and 
brought  down  his  right  arm  like  a  flash  ;  but,  as 


246  CAMP-FIRE   AJSD    WIGWAM. 

before,  it  cleft  the  empty  air,  find  the  youth  con- 
fronted him  with  his  shadowy  smile  and  defiant 
expression. 

Then,  as  if  feeling  he  had  retreated  far  enough, 
the  Shawanoe  advanced  on  his  muscular  foe,  who 
drew  back  as  if  to  brace  himself  for  the  assault. 
Deerfoot  uttered  no  sound,  but  when  he  bounded 
lightly  from  the  ground,  Ilay-uta  knew  the  crisis 
had  come  ;  the  trifling  had  ended. 

The  Shawanoe,  when  close  enough  to  strike, 
made  a  dozen  circular  sweeps  of  his  good  left 
hand,  as  though  he  had  rested  it  on  the  rim  of  a 
wheel  that  was  spinning  with  bewildering  swift- 
ness. No  eye  could  follow  the  knife  in  its 
circlings.  There  was  one  smooth  gleam  like  the 
polished  periphery  of  the  "driver"  of  a  loco- 
motive. 

The  foes,  as  is  always  the  case,  looked  straight 
in  each  other's  eyes,  but  every  limb  and  portion 
of  the  body,  being  in  the  field  of  vision,  was 
clearly  seen.  The  peculiar  act  of  Deerfoot  pro- 
duced the  effect  intended.  The  vision  of  Hay-uta 
became  confused  and  dizzy,  and  before  he  could 
rally  the  Shawanoe  struck  his  blow. 

He  could  have  killed  the  other  as  easily  as  he 


CHRISTIAN    AND    PAGAN.  247 

would  have  slain  a  bear,  but  he  chose  riot  to  do 
so.  Instead,  he  brought  his  fist  down  on  the  up- 
per part  of  his  right  wrist  with  a  quick  violence, 
which,  for  the  second  time,  knocked  the  knife 
from  the  grasp  of  the  more  sinewy  warrior.  So 
deftly  was  the  trick  done  that  the  weapon  of  the 
Sauk  flew  a  dozen  feet  straight  up  in  the  air, 
turning  rapidly  end  over  end  and  falling  between 
the  two. 

If  Hay-uta  was  subject  to  the  will  of  Deerfoot  a 
minute  before,  it  will  be  seen  that  now  he  was 
helpless.  He  had  been  again  disarmed,  while  the 
lithe  youth  still  grasped  his  own  weapon  with 
the  power  to  drive  it  home  whenever  he  so 
willed. 

The  last  act  of  Deerfoot  accomplished  its  pur- 
pose. Hay-uta  at  first  was  self-confident  ;  again, 
he  was  hopeful  ;  but  the  latter  time  he  was  dis- 
armed, his  confidence  vanished.  He  saw7  that 
much  as  he  had  despised  the  youth  whose  life  he 
sought,  he  was  his  inferior  in  every  respect.  He 
was  no  match  for  him  in  a  fight,  nor  could  he 
approach  him  in  his  peerless  woodcraft.  The 
question  of  supremacy  was  settled  forever. 

Slowly  recoiling  a  couple  of  steps,  he  folded  his 


248  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

arms,  and,  with  a  dignity  that  was  touching,  said, 
in  a  slow,  deliberate  voice,  with  his  softened  gaze 
fixed  on  the  countenance  of  his  conqueror  : 

"  Hay-uta  is  a  dog  whose  teeth  have  fallen  out ; 
he  can  fight  no  more  ;  he  is  ashamed  to  go  back 
to  his  people  ;  the  son  of  a  pale  face  who  is  there, 
when  he  learns  the  truth,  will  point  his  finger  at 
him  and  laugh  ;  Hay-uta  cannot  go  to  his  lodge  ; 
let  Deerfoot  bury  his  knife  in  his  heart  !  " 

"  Deerfoot  seeks  not  the  life  of  Hay-uta ;  had 
he  wished  it,  he  could  have  had  it  long  ago ;  but 
Deerfoot  is  a  Christian  ;  he  will  do  Hay-uta  no 
harm." 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

AN    ABORIGINAL    SERMON. 

FF  Hay-uta  the  Sauk  had  been  astonished  by 
the  ^action  of  his  youthful  conqueror,  he  was 
now  more  astonished  by  his  words  ;  but  the  former 
in  a  measure  prepared  him  for  the  latter,  and  he 
saw  why  it  was  the  remarkable  warrior  had  re- 
fused to  take  his  life  when  the  opportunity  had 
been  his,  and  when  too  he  knew  that  he  whom  he 
was  fighting  would  show  him  no  mercy. 

Hay-uta,  like  many  of  his  people,  had  listened 
to  the  words  of  the  missionaries — those  strange 
people  who  underwent  hunger,  thirst,  and  suffer- 
ing that  they  might  preach  the  Word  of  Life  to 
those  who  had  never  heard  of  that  wonderful  Being 
that  died  to  save  a  lost  world,  and  who  taught 
that  forgiveness,  kindness,  and  love  were  the  duty 
of  every  one.  Hay-uta,  I  say,  had  listened  to  the 
words  of  those  people,  but  only  to  turn  away  with 
a  scornful  smile,  for  he  was  sure  the  creed  was  one 


250  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

to  which  the  American  Indian  could  never  give 
his  faith. 

The  red  man  remembered  that  those  priests  and 
missionaries  called  themselves  Christians,  and  lo  ! 
the  most  skillful  warrior  upon  whom  he  had  ever 
looked,  now  stood  before  him  and  declared  that  he 
too  was  a  Christian.  Not  only  that,  but  he  proved 
it  by  his  works,  for  he  refused  to  tear  the  reeking 
scalp  from  the  head  of  his  enemy,  when  that  ene- 
my was  vanquished ! 

Once  more  Deerfoot  picked  the  knife  ofHay-uta 
from  the  ground  and  handed  it  (the  point  toward 
himself)  to  the  Sauk.  The  latter  accepted  it  and 
pushed  it  back  in  place  behind  the  girdle  that 
spanned  his  waist.  Then  at  a  signal  from  Deer- 
foot  he  recovered  his  rifle  and  tomahawk,  as  Deer- 
foot  did  his  hatchet  and  bow  and  quiver.  With- 
out a  word,  the  two  walked  the  short  distance  to 
camp,  Hay-uta  slightly  in  the  lead. 

The  camp  was  of  the  simplest  character,  con- 
sisting of  a  pile  of  sticks,  leaves,  and  branches 
which  served  as  a  couch,  beside  furnishing  fuel  for 
the  fire  when  he  cooked  his  food.  A  long,  heavy 
blanket  was  partly  folded  and  lying  on  the  heap 
of  branches,  where  it  had  served  as  a  pillow  for 


AN    ABORIGINAL    SERMON.  251 

the  warrior,  who  was  different  from  most  of  his 
people  in  using  that  artificial  help  to  slumber. 

The  water,  which  is  such  a  necessity  for  par- 
ties halting  in  the  wilderness,  was  obtained  from  a 
tiny  stream  that  trickled  down  the  rocks  just  be- 
yond, after  which  it  sank  out  of  sight  in  the  moun- 
tain to  reappear  at  some  point  far  removed.  The 
wood  and  undergrowth  that  surrounded  the  camp 
of  the  Sauk  were  very  close  and  dense,  so  that  the 
view  in  every  direction  was  shut  off,  unless  one 
should  climb  the  tallest  tree  and  take  his  survey 
from  that  perch. 

When  Hay-uta  halted  in  front  of  his  camp-fire 
he  turned  about  and  extended  his  hand  to  Deer- 
foot. 

"  Will  Deerfoot  tell  Hay-uta  about  the  Great 
Spirit  of  the  white  man  ?  " 

"  He  is  the  Great  Spirit  of  the  red  man  as  well 
as  of  the  white/'  replied  the  Shawanoe,  seating 
himself  on  the  ground,  where  he  was  opposite  the 
Sauk,  who  slowly  resumed  his  seat  on  the  pile  of 
sticks  and  branches.  "  He  loves  all  his  children 
— him  with  the  face  of  the  night,  the  Miami,  the 
Huron,  the  Shawanoe,  the  Delaware,  the  Sank 
and  Fox,  the  white  man,  and  all  those  who  live 


252  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

far  beyond  the  great  water  which  rolls  against  the 
shores  of  our  land.  He  loves  them  all,  and  He 
hides  his  face  with  grief  when  he  sees  them  quar- 
rel and  try  to  kill  each  other.  If  His  children 
will  do  as  He  tells  them  to  do,  they  will  be  happy 
in  this  world  and  in  the  hunting  grounds  where 
they  shall  live  forever." 

Hay-uta  remembered  that  this  agreed  with 
what  he  had  heard  the  missionaries  say,  but  he 
recalled  also  that  there  was  something  more. 

"  Where  does  the  Great  Spirit  that  Deerfoot 
tells  me  about  live  ?  " 

The  Shawanoe  pointed  reverently  upward. 

"  Far  beyond  the  clouds,  the  sun,  and  the  stars; 
He  lives  there,  and  there  all  shall  go  who  do  His 
will.  A  long  time  ago,  before  the  white  men 
came  across  the  great  water,  He  sent  His  Son  from 
Heaven  to  earth  ;  the  Son  went  about  doing  good, 
and  died,  to  save  those  He  loved  from  sorrow  and 
death." 

"  Deerfoot  tells  me  what  the  Great  Spirit  says 
to  him  ;  how  does  he  hear  the  Great  Spirit 
speak  ? " 

Without  changing  his  half-reclining  posture, 
the  Shawanoe  drew  forth  his  small  Bible  from  the 


AN  ABORIGINAL   SERMON.  253 

inner  pocket  of  his  hunting  shirt,  the  other  watch- 
ing with  amazement  the  action.  Opening  the 
sacred  volume,  he  read  in  his  low,  musical  voice  : 

"  '  Blessed  are  the  meek  :  for  they  shall  inherit 
the  earth. 

"  i  Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart :  for  they  shall 
see  God. 

"  '  Blessed  are  the  peace-makers  :  for  they  shall 
be  called  the  children  of  God. 

"  (  Ye  have  heard  that  it  has  been  said,  thou 
shalt  love  thy  neighbor,  and  hate  thine  enemy  : 

"  ( But  I  say  unto  you,  love  your  enemies,  bless 
them  that  curse  you,  do  good  to  them  that  hate 
you,  and  pray  for  them  which  despitefully  use 
you,  and  persecute  you/  ' 

Deerfoot  read  these  extracts  from  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount,  with  which  he  was  so  familiar  that 
he  could  have  repeated  it  all  without  looking  at 
the  printed  page.  Then  raising  his  eyes  to  the 
wondering  face  of  Hay-uta,  he  added  : 

"  Let  my  brother  listen,  for  these  are  the  words 
of  the  Great  Spirit,  which  he  speaks  to  all  his 
children  ;  if  they  will  obey,  there  shall  be  no  un- 
happiness  in  the  world  : 

"  t  Therefore  all  things  whatsoever  ye  would  that 


254  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to  them  :  for 
this  is  the  law  and  the  p:  Oj.>hets"  • 

The  Sauk  warrior  was  never  so  stirred  in  all  his 
life.  He  had  seen  white  men  read  from  books, 
and  he  held  a  misty  idea  of  how  it  was  done,  but 
he  never  knew  one  of  his  own  race  who  could  in- 
terpret the  meaning  of  the  curious  figures  made 
by  some  incomprehensible  means  on  paper. 

It  was  impossible  that  he  should  grasp  the 
height  and  depth  of  that  sublime  utterance,  which 
is  of  itself  the  very  essence  of  the  Christian  re- 
ligion ;  but  they  were  as  clear  as  sunlight  to 
Deerfoot,  who  had  pondered  them  many  a  time 
since  he  sat  at  the  feet  of  good  Mrs.  Preston,  who 
presented  him  with  the  Word  of  Life. 

Closing  the  Book  and  putting  it  away,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  preach  his  sermon  to  the  Sauk  warrior. 
Deerfoot  assumed  the  sitting  position,  and  used 
both  hands  in  his  frequent  gestures.  Hay-uta 
reclined  on  his  side,  supporting  himself  on  one 
elbow,  while  he  fixed  his  eyes  on  his  teacher  and 
drank  in  every  word. 

"  The  Great  Spirit  made  all  people — the  white, 
the  red,  the  black  man,  and  him  whose  face  is  the 
color  of  the  breast  of  Deerfoot's  hunting  shirt — 


AN    ABORIGINAL    SERMON.  255 

for  there  are  men  whose  skins  are  yellow,  and 
others  who  are  brown.  He  wishes  them  to  live 
like  brothers,  but  they  do  not.  More  of  the  pale 
faces  are  evil  than  good  ;  they  use  the  red  men 
ill,  and  the  red  man  loves  to  fight  his  enemies, 
but  they  grieve  the  Great  Spirit.  Let  Hay-uta 
pray  to  the  Great  Spirit  ;  let  him  never  lie  down 
or  rise  without  talking  to  Him  ;  let  him  stay  his 
hand  when  it  would  strike  a  blow  in  anger ;  let 
him  forgive  his  foes  ;  let  him  seek  to  do  the  will 
of  the  Great  Spirit,  and  a  sweet  peace  shall  fill 
his  heart,  such  as  he  never  knew  before.  Let  my 
brother  do  that ;  let  him  tell  the  good  news  to  his 
friends  ;  let  him  listen  to  the  words  of  the  mis- 
sionaries and  talk  to  his  people. 

"  The  father  of  Deerfoot  was  a  chief  of  the 
Shawanoes,  who  loved  to  fight  ;  Deerfoot  when  a 
child  was  a  wildcat  in  his  hate  of  his  enemies  and 
of  the  pale  faces  ;  but  the  Great  Spirit  whispered 
in  his  ear,  and  he  became  another  being.  It  was 
the  Great  Spirit  who  told  him  just  now  that  dan- 
ger threatened  him.  Hay-uta  knows  that  Deer- 
foot  could  have  slain  him  had  he  wished  to  do  so  ; 
but  he  never  wished  him  ill  ;  he  first  showed  him 
he  was  his  master,  that  Hay-uta  might  listen 


256  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

to  his  words  ;  will  my  brother  forget  what  Deer- 
foot  has  said  to  him  ?  " 

Every  being,  whether  groping  in  the  night  of 
barbarism  or  walled  in  by  the  skepticism  of  an 
advanced  civilization,  has  felt  at  one  time  or  an- 
other, an  irrestrainable  longing  to  draw  aside  the 
veil  which  shuts  out  the  great  hereafter,  and  solve 
the  mystery  of  the  life  that  is  to  come.  Many  a 
time  is  the  heart  stirred  to  its  uttermost  depths 
by  the  chastening  hand  of  affliction,  or  when  gaz- 
ing on  the  glories  of  the  stars  and  firmament,  or 
when  listening  to  the  meanings  of  the  vast  deep, 
the  soft  sighing  of  the  winds  in  the  forest,  or  the 
lisping  prayer  of  infancy.  No  proof  of  the  immor- 
tality of  the  soul  can  equal  that  of  its  very  yearn- 
ing for  immortality,  and  dim,  strange,  half-heard 
whisperings  of  the  Beyond  become  voices  more 
convincing  than  all  the  scientific  scoffing  and 
brilliant  ridicule  of  those  whose  learning  carries 
them  beyond  the  trusting  faith  of  childhood,  and 
stops  just  short  of  the  grandeur  of  the  light  of 
perfect  knowledge. 

When  Deerfoot  addressed  his  question  to  the 
Sauk  warrior,  the  latter  did  not  answer,  but  con- 
tinued gazing  into  his  face  as  though  he  heard  not 


AN    ABORIGINAL    SERMON.  257 

the  words,  and  his  thoughts  were  far  away.  The 
Sliawuiioe  was  wise  enough  to  suspect  the  truth, 
and  refrained  from  repeating  the  question.  He, 
too,  held  his  peace,  and  for  several  minutes  the 
strange  scene  lasted.  The  two  Indians  looked  at 
each  other  without  speaking. 

Meanwhile  the  afternoon  was  drawing  to  a  close, 
and  darkness  was  creeping  through  the  forest. 
The  camp-fire  had  burned  so  low  that  it  gave  out 
no  light,  and  the  figures  of  the  warriors  began  to 
grow  indistinct. 

Deerfoot  felt  that  he  had  sowed  the  seed,  and 
he  had  only  to  wait  for  it  to  bear  fruit.  He  arose, 
and  stepping  closer  to  the  fire,  stirred  it  until  it 
gave  forth  a  flame  which  lit  up  the  surrounding 
gloom.  Still  Hay-uta  remained  motionless  and 
silent. 

Perhaps  it  has  not  escaped  the  notice  of  the 
reader  that  when  the  Sauk  stood  with  folded  arms 
before  his  conqueror,  and  asked  him  to  bury  his 
knife  in  his  heart,  he  said  that  the  son  of  the  pale 
face  would  point  the  finger  of  scorn  at  him.  Deer- 
foot  noticed  the  curious  words,  and  he  felt  that 
the  moment  had  come  when  he  should  learn  their 
full  meaning. 


258  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

"Where  is  the  village  of  my  brother?"  he 
asked  in  his  gentle  way. 

The  Sauk  aroused  himself  and  slowly  rose  to 
his  feet.  Glancing  through  the  fire-light  at  his 
questioner,  he  pointed  to  the  west. 

"  Two  suns'  journey  away  is  the  home  of  Hay- 
uta.  There  are  his  squaw  and  pappoose.  He  left 
them  two  suns  ago  to  hunt  for  the  scalps  of  his 
enemies  ;  but  he  will  hunt  no  more  ;  he  will  go 
home,  and  on  his  way  will  think  of  the  words  that 
Deerfoot  has  said  to  him." 

"  It  is  well  he  should  do  so  ;  but  my  brother 
spoke  of  the  son  of  the  pale  face.  Why  is  he  in 
the  village  of  the  Sauks  ?  " 

u  He  was  brought  there  in  the  last  moon  ;  the 
Sauks  found  two  pale  faces  in  the  woods/' 

"  Where  is  the  other  ?  " 

"  Some  of  the  Sauks  took  him  by  another  path; 
Hay-uta  knows  not  where  he  is." 

"  Was  harm  done  him  ?  " 

"  Hay-uta  cannot  answer." 

"  Tell  me  of  the  pale  face  that  is  in  the  village 
of  the  Sauks  with  my  brother." 

The  warrior,  assisted  by  the  questions  of  Deer- 
foot,  who  kept  down  the  deep  interest  he  felt,  told 


AN   ABORIGINAL    SERMON.  259 

all  he  knew.  When  he  had  finished,  as  the  reader 
may  well  suspect,  Deerfoot  was  sure  he  had 
gained  most  important  knowledge.  He  was  satis- 
fied heyond  all  doubt  that  the  prisoner  in  the  vil- 
lage of  the  Sauks  was  Jack  Carleton,  whom  he  had 
set  out  to  find,  and  for  whom  he  feared  he  would 
have  to  hunt  for  many  moons  before  learning 
whether  he  was  alive  or  dead. 

Suddenly  the  Sank  rose  to  his  feet  and  stood  in 
the  attitude  of  listening,  as  though  he  had  caught 
some  signal.  Deerfoot  knew  he  was  mistaken,  for 
had  it  been  otherwise,  he  too  would  have  noticed 
it. 

"  Hay-uta  bids  his  brother  good  bye,"  was  the 
abrupt  exclamation  of  the  warrior,  who  caught  up 
his  blanket  and,  without  another  word,  passed  from 
sight  in  the  wood,  leaving  the  astonished  Deerfoot 
alone. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

IN   THE    LODGE    OF    OGALLAH. 

Ij^ROM  what  has  been  told  concerning  Deer- 
foot,  the  reader  knows  that  the  tribe  which 
held  Jack  Carleton  prisoner  were  Sauks,  or  Sacs, 
as  the  name  is  often  spelled.  They  belonged  to 
the  great  Algonquin  division,  and,  when  first 
known  to  Europeans,  inhabited  the  country  near 
Detroit  River  and  Saginaw  Bay,  but  were  driven 
beyond  Lake  Michigan  by  the  powerful  Iroquois. 
They  themselves  were  of  a  restless  and  warlike 
nature  and  were  the  bitter  enemies  of  the  Sioux 
and  Iroquois.  They  were  the  allies  of  the  famous 
war-chief  Pontiac  who  besieged  Detroit  so  long, 
and,  during  the  Revolution  fought  on  the  side  of 
the  English.  They  were  closely  associated  with 
the  Foxes,  and  frequently  moved  from  one  section 
of  the  country  to  another,  in  which  respect  they 
resembled  the  majority  of  American  Indians. 

The  chief  who  has  been  referred  to  as  Ogallah 
was  one  of  the  most  fiery-tempered  and  quarrel- 


IN  THE  LODGE  OF  OGALLAH.       261 

some  members  of  the  Sauk  tribe.  In  one  of  the 
expeditions  against  the  Sioux,  he  not  only  per- 
formed wonderful  deeds  of  daring,  but  toma- 
hawked several  of  his  own  warriors,  because,  in 
his  judgment,  they  showed  a  timidity  in  attack- 
ing the  common  foe.  One  of  the  Sauks  who  fell 
by  the  hand  of  the  wrathful  sachem  was  the 
brother  of  the  leading  chief  This  precipitated  a 
fierce  quarrel  between  the  two,  the  upshot  of 
which  was  that  Ogallah,  and  a  number  of  follow- 
ers, drew  off  from  the  main  tribe  and  began 
"  keeping  house "  for  themselves.  Migrating 
southward  with  the  purpose  of  placing  a  long 
stretch  of  country  between  them  and  the  parent 
tribe,  they  finally  erected  their  lodges  on  the 
banks  of  a  stream  on  the  Ozark  region;*  in  what  is 
now  Southern  Missouri  and  upper  Arkansas. 

I  have  already  said  the  Indians  gave  the  white 
men  little  trouble  in  that  section  during  the  pio- 
neer days.  In  that  respect,  no  comparison  can  be 
made  with  Kentucky  and  Ohio.  As  early  as  1720, 
the  lead  deposits  in  Missouri  attracted  notice,  and 
its  oldest  town,  Saint  Genevieve,  was  founded  in 
1755.  St.  Louis  became  the  depot  for  the  fur 
trade  of  the  vast  region  beyond,  and  at  the  break- 


262  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

ing  out  of  the  Revolution,  was  a  town  of  consider- 
able importance. 

The  warrior  Hay-uta  with  whom  Deerfoot  had 
his  remarkable  interview  was  a  fair  representative 
of  the  Sank  nation,  and  especially  of  that  division 
which  was  under  the  following  of  Ogaliah.  Some 
of  the  warriors  were  constantly  roaming  through 
the  wilderness  in  quest  of  scalps.  While  they 
were  nothing  loth  to  engage  in  a  scrimmage  with 
the  hunters  and  trappers,  yet  they  preferred  those 
of  their  own  race  above  all  others.  No  Sioux  or 
Iroquois  could  have  approached  within  hundreds 
of  miles  without  the  certainty  of  an  encounter 
with  the  warlike  Sauks. 

The  Sauk  party  which  appeared  so  close  to  the 
settlement  of  Martinsville  had  been  out  for  seve- 
ral weeks  looking  for  "  game "  in  the  form  of 
Sioux,  who  lived  far  to  the  northward.  They  had 
found  some  of  it  too,  and  were  returning  home  in 
a  leisurely  manner.  They  took  a  careful  survey  of 
the  settlement,  and  even  discussed  the  wisdom  of 
making  an  attack  on  it  ;  but  they  saw  it  could 
not  be  destroyed  by  so  small  a  force,  and  though 
they  might  have  shot  several  of  the  settlers  be- 
fore they  could  know  their  danger,  they  decided 


IN  THE  LODGE  OF  OGALLAH.       263 

to  pass  on  without  making  any  demonstration 
at  all. 

When  Jack  Carleton  and  Otto  Belstaub  walked 
up  to  the  party,  it  was  no  more  than  natural  that 
they  should  be  made  prisoners.  No  particular 
reason  can  he  assigned  for  the  separation  of  the 
party,  one  division  of  which  took  Jack  and  the 
other  Otto,  except  that  a  survey  of  the  land 
passed  over  could  be  better  made  by  that  means. 
However,  this  point  will  be  dwelt  upon  more  fully 
in  another  place. 

Probably  no  person  ever  played  the  part  of  cap- 
tive among  a  tribe  of  savages  without  devoting 
most  of  his  thoughts  to  the  question  of  escape. 
It  is  inevitable  that  he  should  do  so,  for  the  fate 
is  so  painful  in  every  respect  that,  but  for  the  hope, 
one  would  be  ready  to  lie  down  and  die. 

Jack  had  turned  the  question  over  and  over  in 
his  mind,  and  had  done  his  utmost  to  give  his  cap- 
tors the  slip  while  on  the  road,  but  misfortune  at- 
tended every  venture,  and  at  last  he  found  him- 
self in  the  lodge  of  the  chieftain  Ogallah  himself, 
where  it  looked  as  if  he  was  likely  to  remain  in- 
definitely. 

"  Well,  this  beats  everything,"  he  exclaimed, 


264  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

after  finishing  the  meal  and  seating  himself  at  the 
side  of  the  lodge,  so  as  to  he  out  of  the  way  of  the 
housewife,  as  she  moved  hack  and  forth  and  here 
and  there  while  attending  to  her  duties  ;  "  I've 
come  a  long  distance  through  the  woods,  and  it'll 
take  some  time  to  find  my  way  hack  to  Martins- 
ville,  after  I  once  make  a  start." 

He  could  not  persuade  himself  that  his  captiv- 
ity might  last  for  months  and  possibly  for  years. 
He  was  confident  that  no  matter  how  vigilant  the 
watch  maintained,  he  would  gain  a  chance  to  give 
the  Indians  the  slip  within  two  or  three  days  at 
the  furthest. 

"  I  did  my  hesfc  to  make  Ogallah  and  the  others 
think  I  wasn't  anxious  to  leave,  hut  the  work  was 
all  thrown  away.  These  people  are  not  fools,  and 
no  matter  how  well  I  may  act,  they  know  of  a 
surety  that  the  whole  prayer  of  my  life  is  to  part 
company  with  them." 

The  conclusion  reached  by  Jack  was  common 
sense,  though  the  story-writers  sometimes  make  it 
appear  that  the  keen  minded  American  Indian 
may  be  duped  in  that  transparent  fashion.  The 
utmost  that  Jack  Carleton  could  hope  to  do 
was  to  show  his  captors  that,  while  he  longed  to 


IN  THE  LODGE  OF  OGALLAH.       265 

return  to  his  friends,  he  saw  no  means  of  doing  so, 
and  therefore  was  not  likely  to  make  the  attempt. 
Such  he  resolved  would  be  his  course. 

The  boy  was  fatigued  in  mind  and  body,  and, 
when  he  bowed  his  head  in  prayer  (much  to  the 
astonishment  of  Ogallah  and  his  squaw),  and  lay 
down  on  the  bison  robe,  he  sank  into  a  refreshing 
slumber,  from  which  he  did  not  awake  until 
morning,  and  then,  when  he  did  so,  he  came 
to  his  senses  with  a  yell  that  almost  raised  the 
roof. 

The  Sauks,  like  all  their  race,  were  extremely 
fond  of  dogs,  and  the  mongrel  curs  seemed  to  be 
everywhere.  Jack  had  noticed  them  trotting 
through  the  village,  playing  with  the  children  and 
basking  in  the  sun.  A  number  sniffed  at  his  heels, 
as  he  passed  by  with  Ogallah,  but  did  not  offer  to 
disturb  him. 

The  chief  was  the  owner  of  a  mangy  cur,  which 
seemed  to  have  been  off  on  some  private  business 
of  his  own,  when  his  master  returned,  inasmuch 
as  he  did  not  put  in  an  appearance  until  early  the 
following  morning,  when  he  trotted  sideways  up 
to  the  lodge  and  entered,  as  he  could  readily  do, 
inasmuch  as  the  "  latch  string  was  always  out." 
22 


266  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

The  canine  was  quick  to  notice  the  stranger  lying 
on  the  bison  skin  with  his  eyes  closed  and  his 
mouth  open.  With  an  angry  growl  he  trotted  in 
the  same  sidelong  fashion  across  the  space,  and 
pushing  his  nose  under  Jack's  legs  gave  him  a 
smart  bite,  just  below  the  knee,  as  though  he 
meant  to  devour  him,  and  concluded  that  was  the 
best  part  of  his  anatomy  on  which  to  make  a. be- 
ginning. 

The  foregoing  will  explain  why  Jack  Carleton 
awoke  with  a  yell  and  stared  around  him  for  an 
explanation  of  the  insult.  The  vigor  of  his  kicks, 
and  the  resonant  nature  of  his  cries,  filled  the  dog 
with  a  panic,  and  he  skurried  out  of  the  lodge 
with  his  tail  between  his  legs,  and  cast  affrighted 
glances  behind  him. 

"  Confound  the  cur,"  muttered  Jack,  rubbing 
the  injured  limb,  "  is  that  the  style  of  these  dogs 
when  a  stranger  calls  ?  " 

Ogallah  was  entering  the  door  of  his  home  just 
as  the  canine  was  going  out.  Suspecting  what 
mischief  he  had  been  committing,  he  placed  his 
moccasin  under  the  brute  and  elevated  him  several 
feet  in  the  air,  with  a  force  which  caused  him  to 
turn  end  over  end,  with  an  accompaniment  of 


IN  THE  LODGE  OF  OGALLAH.        267 

yelps  and  howls  which  were  kept  up  until  he  was 
out  of  sight  and  hearing. 

The  wife  of  Ogallah  was  preparing  breakfast, 
which  was  of  the  simplest  character,  consisting  of 
nothing  but  meat  cooked  over  the  coals  as  on  the 
evening  before.  There  was  nothing  in  the  nature 
of  vegetables,  though  something  of  the  kind  was 
growing  on  the  cleared  land  without. 

Jack  longed  for  the  pure,  fresh  air  of  the  out- 
side. The  smoke  of  the  chieftain's  pipe,  the  smell 
of  burning  meat,  and  the  untidiness  of  the  place 
and  people,  left  a  stale  odor,  which  was  nauseat- 
ing to  one  unaccustomed  to  it. 

He  wanted  a  drink  of  cold  water  as  it  bubbled 
from  the  earth,  and,  rising  to  his  feet,  passed  out- 
doors. The  squaw  merely  glanced  up,  while 
Ogallah  addressed  several  rapidly  spoken  words  to 
him.  Then  recollecting  that  nothing  he  said  could 
be  understood,  he  smiled  grimly,  and  turned  his 
back  on  the  lad. 

Beaching  the  outside,  Jack  stood  still  for  a 
minute,  uncertain  what  course  to  take.  The  war- 
riors, squaws,  and  children  were  astir ;  but  no  one 
seemed  to  observe  him  when  he  paused  in  front  of 
the  chieftain's  lodge. 


268  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

"  I'll  try  the  river/'  was  his  conclusion,  as  he 
stepped  briskly  off,  his  heart  beating  rapidly,  for 
he  knew  from  his  experience  of  the  previous  night, 
that  much  curiosity  respecting  him  was  felt,  and 
he  was  certain  to  attract  annoying  attention.  But 
he  reached  the  stream,  where  he  stooped  and 
bathed  his  face  and  hands,  wiping  them  on  the 
handkerchief  he  earned,  and  still  heard  and  saw 
nothing  to  cause  misgiving. 

"  I  wonder  whether  they  drink  from  this/'  he 
said,  rising  to  his  feet,  and  looking  around  ;  "  I 
can't  say  that  I  fancy  it,  for  it  isn't  as  clear  as 
it  looked  to  be  when  I  was  further  off ;  then 
the  youngsters  bathe  and  play  in  it  —  hel- 
loa  ! " 

He  saw  an  Indian  woman  making  her  way  to- 
ward one  of  the  wigwams  on  the  edge  of  the  vil- 
lage, carrying  a  large  gourd  of  water  in  her  arms. 
It  was  filled  almost  to  the  brim,  and  slopped  over 
the  edge,  as  it  was  disturbed  by  her  movement  in 
walking.  It  was  fair  to  conclude  that  she  had 
taken  it  from  the  spring  for  which  Jack  was  look- 
ing, and  he  immediately  moved  toward  her.  She 
stopped  abruptly  when  she  saw  him  approach, 
and  stared  in  such  open-mouthed  amazement  that 


IN    THE   LODGE   OF   OGALLAH.  269 

it  was  evident  that  this  was  the  first  glance  she 
had  obtained  of  the  captive. 

Jack  made  signs  of  comity,  and  sheered  off  so 
as  to  reach  the  path  considerably  to  the  rear  of 
the  squaw,  who,  with  a  grunt,  made  an  equally 
wide  circuit  in  the  opposite  direction,  so  that  the 
two  avoided  each  other  by  a  liberal  space  of 
ground. 

The  boy  saw  that  he  was  moving  over  a  well- 
worn  path,  which  he  was  confident  led  to  the 
spring  he  wished  to  find.  Nearly  every  step  was 
marked  by  the  drippings  of  water  from  the  gourd 
of  the  woman  he  had  just  met. 

Sure  enough,  he  had  gone  less  than  a  hundred 
yards  beyond  the  village  when  he  came  upon  the 
spring,  which  bubbled  from  under  the  twisted 
black  roots  of  an  oak,  throwing  up  the  sand  in  a 
continual  fountain-like  tumble  of  melted  silver. 
The  lad  looked  down  at  it  for  a  moment,  and  then 
sinking  to  his  hands  and  knees,  pressed  his  lips 
against  the  cold,  crystal-fluid,  the  most  refreshing 
element  in  all  nature. 

Had  not  his  nose  and  eyes  been  so  close  to  the 
water,  Jack  Carleton  would  have  caught  the  re- 
flection of  another  face  just  behind  his  own — a 


270  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

face  which  would  have  driven  all  thirst  away  and 
caused  him  to  bound  to  his  feet,  as  though  he 
had  heard  the  whirr  of  a  coiled  rattlesnake  at  his 
elbow. 

But  Jack  saw  and  suspected  nothing.  He  had 
taken  three  good  swallows  when  some  one  gave 
the  back  of  his  head  such  a  smart  push,  that  the 
nose  was  shoved  down  among  the  silver  sands, 
which  streamed  from  his  face,  as  he  sprang  to  his 
feet,  and  stared  gasping,  blinking,  and  furious. 

"  Who  the  deuce  did  that  ?  "  he  demanded,  for- 
getting himself  in  his  anger. 

His  own  eyes  answered  the  question.  Three 
Indian  boys  were  standing,  laughing  as  if  ready  to 
hurt  themselves  over  his  discomfiture.  Two  of 
them  were  very  nearly  the  height  and  age  of  Jack, 
while  the  third,  who  had  played  the  trick  on  him, 
was  older  and  taller. 

The  captive  was  angry  enough  to  assail  all 
three,  and  it  required  a  smart  exercise  of  the  will 
to  restrain  himself.  But  he  saw  the  folly  of  such 
a  step.  The  affray  would  quickly  bring  others  to 
the  spot,  and  very  speedily  Jack  would  find  him- 
self attacked  by  overwhelming  numbers,  and 
possibly  would  be  beaten  to  death.  No ;  he 


IN  THE  LODGE  OF  OGALLAH.       271 

must  use  ordinary  prudence  and  swallow  the 
insult. 

He  looked  in  the  grinning  faces  of  the  homely 
youths,  and  made  quite  a  successful  effort  to  join 
their  laughter  (though  precious  little  mirth  was 
there  in  the  essay),  and  then  started  back  toward 
the  lodge  of  Ogallah. 

The  youth  tried  to  walk  with  a  dignified  step, 
but  he  was  sadly  thrown  out  by  a  dexterous  trip 
from  one  of  the  moccasins,  which  sent  him  stumb- 
ling forward  with  a  very  narrow  escape  from  fall- 
ing on  his  hands  and  knees. 

It  was  the  tallest  of  the  three  who  had  tripped 
him,  and  all  laughed  like  a  lot  of  clowns,  as  the 
angered  Jack  glared  at  them. 

"  I  wish  I  had  you  alone,"  muttered  the  boy 
between  his  set  teeth  ;  "  I  wouldn't  need  more 
than  five  minutes  to  give  you  a  lesson  you'd 
remember  all  your  life." 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

A     ROW. 

TACK  CARLETON  saw  that  he  was.  caught 
*-*  in  an  exceedingly  unpleasant  dilemma.  He 
had  a  considerable  distance  to  walk  to  reach  the 
lodge  of  Ogallah  and  was  sure  to  be  tormented  all 
the  way.  He  could  not  feel  certain  even,  that 
the  wigwam  of  the  chieftain  would  afford  him  pro- 
tection, while  nothing  could  be  more  manifest 
than  that  this  was  but  the  beginning  of  a  series 
of  numberless  persecutions  to  which  he  would  be 
subjected. 

He  was  allowed  to  take  six  or  eight  steps  in 
peace,  when  one  of  the  Indian  boys  slipped  up  be- 
hind and  with  his  foot  struck  his  heel,  just  as  it 
left  the  ground.  This  threw  the  toe  behind 
Jack's  other  leg  and  caused  him  to  stumble  again, 
though,  as  he  was  expecting  something  of  the 
kind,  he  recovered  himself  with  more  ease. 

A  few  seconds  later,  Jack  was  passing  among 
the  different  lodges,  and  walking  rapidly  toward 


A  ROW.  273 

that  of  the  chieftain.  His  presence  became  known 
to  the  whole  village  in  a  very  brief  time,  and  the 
younger  portion  came  flocking  around  him,  as 
though  he  was  some  wonderful  curiosity,  which, 
under  the  circumstances,  was  the  fact. 

Ogallah  was  among  those  who  came  to  the  front 
of  the  lodges  to  learn  what  caused  the  uproar. 
When  he  caught  sight  of  Jack,  he  called  out 
something  and  made  excited  gestures  to  him. 
The  boy  supposed  they  were  intended  to  hurry 
his  return,  and  finding  his  persecutors  closing 
around  him,  he  broke  into  a  run. 

Then  the  stones  and  clods  began  to  fly.  The 
whole  rabble  joined  in,  and  when  the  poor  captive 
dodged  into  the  wigwam,  he  was  bruised  and  half 
frightened  to  death.  He  watched  the  entrance  in 
terror,  but  his  tormentors  did  not  dare  follow  him 
into  the  home  of  their  chief,  who*would  have  been 
quick  to  resent  such  an  invasion  of  his  dignity 
and  rights. 

Jack  was  panting  and  frightened,  but  he  had 
received  no  serious  hurts.  What  alarmed  him, 
more  than  everything  else,  was  the  foreshadowing 
thus  made  of  the  treatment  in  store  for  him. 

"  I  can't  stand  this,"  was  his  thought,  after  he 


274  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

had  partly  regained  his  composure.  "  I  shall 
have  to  stay  in  here  altogether  or  run  the  gauntlet 
every  time  I  go  out." 

But  all  this  time,  Ogallah  kept  talking  and 
making  vigorous  gestures  to  him.  The  chief  had 
followed  him  to  the  middle  of  the  lodge,  where 
the  two  sat  on  the  ground  cross-legged  and  began 
eating  the  meat  which  the  squaw  had  prepared. 
She  did  not  join  them,  and  the  hoy  had  little  ap- 
petite after  his  exciting  experience.  The  ges- 
tures of  Ogallah  continued  so  long  that  it  was 
evident  he  was  seeking  to  say  something  of  im- 
portance to  Jack. 

"  I  wonder  what  the  old  fellow  means,"  mut- 
tered the  lad,  ceasing  his  meal  and  studying  the 
gyrating  arms  and  spluttering  countenance.  The 
chieftain  was  striking  the  air  as  if  fighting  an  im- 
aginary foe,  and  then,  pointing  toward  Jack  he 
nodded  his  head  vigorously  and  again  pointed  to 
the  outside. 

Suddenly  the  meaning  of  the  pantomime  broke 
upon  the  youth. 

"  By  gracious  !  if  he  isn't  urging  me  to  sail 
into  those  fellows.  I  say,  Ogallah,  will  you  back 
me  up  and  see  that  I  have  fair  play  ?  " 


A  BOW.  275 

Jack  raised  his  voice  to  a  loud  key,  as  though 
that  would  help  the  chieftain  understand  his 
words ;  but  it  could  not  be  expected  that  he 
would  grasp  their  meaning,  as  they  were  not 
punctuated  with  any  gesture  and  accompanied 
only  by  an  eager  expression  of  countenance. 

But  Ogallah  probably  saw  that  the  youth  had 
caught  his  meaning,  for  he  nodded  his  head  and 
grinned  with  delight. 

"  If  he  will  only  keep  the  crowd  off  me,"  said 
Jack  to  himself,  "  I  won't  ask  anything  better 
than  a  chance  to  get  even  with  that  big  fellow 
and  after  him  the  other  two,  if  they  want  to  take 
a  hand  in  the  fun." 

The  voices  and  turmoil  in  front  of  the  lodge 
showed  that  the  crowd  were  there  waiting  for 
Jack  to  come  forth,  that  they  might  continue  the 
amusement  which  was  interrupted  by  his  flight. 
The  lad  spent  a  minute  or  two  in  conversing  by 
means  of  gestures  with  the  chief,  whose  meaning 
seemed  plainer  now  that  he  had  caught  the  gist 
of  his  first  proposal. 

"  I  am  quite  sure  he  promises  to  see  that  I 
have  fair  play,"  thought  Jack  ;  "  but,  if  I  am 
mistaken  I  shall  get  into  a  pretty  scrape.  Any- 


276  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

thing,  however,  is  preferable  to  this  state  of 
affairs,  and  it  must  be  ended  one  way  or  another 
very  soon/' 

Ogallah  showed  a  childish  delight  when  he  saw 
that  the  youth  had  made  up  his  mind  to  have  a 
bout  with  the  ringleaders  who  had  started  out  to 
make  life  a  burden  to  him.  Even  the  squaw 
partook  of  the  general  excitement  and  followed 
the  two  out  doors. 

The  chieftain  cleared  the  way  for  the  captive, 
who  was  greeted  with  the  most  uproarious  cries  as 
soon  as  seen  by  the  company,  which  numbered 
over  a  hundred  bucks,  squaws  and  children,  ex- 
clusive of  the  dogs  which  added  to  the  unearthly 
racket  by  their  barking,  yelping  and  howling. 

Jack  Carleton  kept  well  under  the  wing  of 
Ogallah  until  he  could  see  what  was  to  take  place. 
The  chief  talked  for  a  short  time  with  several  of 
his  warriors,  who  closed  around  him,  the  rest 
holding  him  in  such  awe  that  they  refrained  from 
disturbing  the  prisoner  until  permission  was  given. 

It  was  quickly  settled  :  Ogallah  and  two  of  his 
men  cleared  a  space  a  rod  square  and  then  beck- 
oned to  Jack,  who  walked  defiantly  to  the  middle 
of  it  and  folded  his  arms. 


A  BOW.  277 

"  Something  must  be  done  pretty  soon,"  was  his 
thought,  as  he  scanned  the  scowling,  laughing, 
shouting  mob.  a  They  would  like  to  tear  me  to 
pieces,  and,  if  they  come  all  at  once,  they  will  do 
it  too." 

The  three  Indian  youths  who  had  assailed 
Jack  at  the  spring,  leaped  about  and  were  as 
frantically  eager  as  so  many  bull-dogs  to  fly  at 
the  poor  fellow,  who  was  never  in  sorer  need  of  a 
powerful  friend. 

Suddenly  one  of  them  received  the  signal,  and, 
with  a  whoop  of  delight,  he  lowered  his  head  and 
ran  at  Jack  like  a  Japanese  wrestler  or  a  mad  bull. 
The  boy  saw  he  meant  to  butt  him  in  the 
stomach,  and  if  he  did  so  he  would  suffer  serious 
injury.  Forewarned  was  forearmed  in  his  case, 
and,  leaping  aside,  he  tripped  the  Indian  as  he 
shot  by,  and  sent  him  sprawling  on  his  hands  and 
knees.  The  uproar  was  deafening,  but  the  con- 
test, it  may  be  said,  had  only  opened,  and  the 
young  Sank  bounded  to  his  feet  as  if  made  of 
India  "Rubber.  His  coppery  face  was  aglow  with 
passion,  and,  pausing  but  an  instant,  he  made  a 
second  rush,  though  this  time  he  kept  his  head 


278  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

up,  and  spread  out  his  arms  so  as  to  prevent  Jack 
escaping  him. 

Jack  did  not  want  to  escape.  He  seized  his  as- 
sailant at  the  same  moment  that  the  latter  grasped 
him,  and  in  a  twinkling  they  were  interlocked  and 
struggling  like  tigers.  But  the  dusky  youth  was 
not  only  younger  and  slighter  than  Jack,  but  he 
was  not  so  strong.  Furthermore,  his  skill  in 
wrestling  was  less  than  that  of  the  white  youth, 
who,  like  all  the  youths  of  the  border,  was  trained 
in  the  rough,  athletic  exercise  so  popular  with 
every  people. 

The  contest  was  as  brief  as  it  was  fierce.  Sud- 
denly a  pair  of  moccasins  kicked  the  air,  and  the 
presumptuous  young  Sauk  went  to  the  earth  as  if 
flung  from  the  top  of  a  church  steeple.  The 
shock  was  tremendous  and  caused  a  momentary 
hush,  for  it  looked  as  if  he  had  been  killed. 

The  mother  of  the  overthrown  wrestler  ran  for- 
ward from  the  crowd,  and  with  wild  lamentations, 
bent  over  him.  When  she  saw  him  move  and 
found  he  was  not  dead,  she  whirled  about,  and, 
with  a  shriek,  made  for  Jack  Carleton,  who 
dreaded  just  such  an  attack ;  but  Ogallah  seized 
her  arm  ere  she  reached  the  frightened  youth,  and 


A  ROW.  279 

flung  her  back  with  a  violence  and  a  threat  which 
stopped  her  from  repeating  the  attack. 

This  incident  gave  Jack  great  encouragement, 
for  it  confirmed  his  belief  that  the  sachem  meant 
he  should  have  fair  treatment,  and  would  allow 
no  dishonest  advantage  to  be  taken  of  him. 

The  second  dusky  youth,  who  was  slighter  than 
Jack,  was  signalled  to  advance  to  the  attack,  but 
to  the  surprise  of  all,  he  shook  his  head  in  dissent 
and  declined  to  come  forward.  The  manner  in 
which  his  companion  had  been  handled  was 
enough  to  convince  him  that  the  most  prudent 
thing  for  him  to  do  was  to  play  the  part  of  spec- 
tator only. 

Not  so,  however,  with  the  larger  and  older 
youth,  who  had  arrived  almost  at  man's  estate. 
He  was  quite  an  athlete  among  his  people,  and 
could  scarcely  restrain  his  eagerness  to  attack  the 
pale  face,  who  had  vanquished  an  opponent 
younger  and  weaker  than  himself.  Ogallah 
nodded  his  head,  and,  amid  a  noise  which  may  be 
called  applause,  the  young  warrior  strode  forward 
and  laid  his  hands  on  Jack,  who,  realizing  the 
difficult  task  before  him,  was  resolute,  watchful, 
and  yet  confident. 


280  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

The  young  Sank  seemed  to  be  left  handed,  like 
Deerfoot,  the  Shawanoe,  for  he  placed  himself  on 
the  right  of  Jack,  and  slid  his  arm  over  the. hoy's 
neck,  while  Jack  assumed  his  favorite  hold  with 
his  right.  The  Indian  was  slightly  the  taller,  and 
was  naked  to  the  waist,  which  was  encircled  "by  a 
girdle,  containing  no  weapons,  below  which  were 
his  breech  clout,  leggings  and  moccasins.  There 
was  nothing  on  his  arms,  his  costume  being  that 
of  a  professional  Indian  wrestler  "stripped  for 
the  fray." 

When  he  slid  his  arm  over  Jack's  neck,  he  bent 
his  head  forward  so  that  he  could  look  down  at 
their  feet.  Jack  thus  found  the  black  hair,  parted 
in  the  middle  and  dangling  over  the  coppery 
shoulders,  directly  under  his  eyes.  He  noted  the 
large,  misshapen  nose,  the  narrow  forehead,  im- 
mensely broad  temples,  and  uncouth  lower  jaw, 
and,  during  the  few  seconds  they  were  waiting, 
reflected  what  an  ugly  warrior  the  youth  was  cer- 
tain to  prove  if  he  lived  a  few  years  longer. 

He  was  the  ringleader  among  Jack's  persecu- 
tors, and  the  lad  determined  to  conquer  him  if 
within  the  range  of  the  most  desperate  effort. 
The  style  in  which  he  took  hold  of  the  pale  face 


A   ROW.  281 

told  the  latter  that  he  possessed  considerable  skill, 
and  it  would  be  a  mistake  to  estimate  him  too 
lightly. 

Jack  reached  over  his  left  hand  to  grasp  the 
right  of  his  antagonist,  but  the  latter  declined  to 
take  it,  and  the  free  hands,  therefore,  were  held, 
as  may  be  said,  in  reserve  to  be  used  as  inclination 
prompted. 

Suddenly  the  Sank  kicked  one  of  Jack's  heels 
forward  and  made  a  quiqk  strong  effort  to  fling 
him  backward.  It  was  done  with  great  deftness, 
and  came  within  a  hair  of  laying  Jack  flat  on  his 
back.  He  recovered  himself  by  a  fierce  effort,  and 
the  attempt  was  instantly  repeated,  but  he  saved 
himself  in  better  shape  than  before. 

Again  the  two  crouched  side  by  side,  each  with 
an  arm  over  the  other,  and  watching  like  cats  for 
the  chance  to  seize  an  advantage.  As  a  feeler, 
Jack  tried  the  same  trick  his  foe  had  used,  but 
the  Sauk  was  too  watchful  and  was  scarcely  dis- 
turbed. All  at  once  the  pale  face  slid  his  arm 
down  until  it  rested  on  the  girdle  at  the  waist  of 
the  Indian.  Then  joining  his  two  hands  and  press- 
ing him  until  he  could  hardly  breathe,  Jack  raised 
him  like  a  flash,  clear  of  his  feet,  and  made  as  if 


282  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

to  throw  him  forward  on  his  face.  At  the  instant 
the  Sauk  put  forth  his  frantic  efforts  to  save  him- 
self from  going  in  that  direction,  Jack  reversed 
the  enginery,  and  sent  him  backward  on  his  head 
with  a  shock  that  made  the  ground  tremble. 

The  fall  was  terrific,  and  looking  down  at  the 
motionless  figure,  Jack  believed  he  had  broken  his 
neck. 

"  I  hope  I  have,"  he  muttered  in  the  flush  of 
his  excitement,  "but  that  kind  are  tough — 
helloa  !  " 

The  prostrate  youth  began  to  gasp  and  make 
spasmodic  movements  of  his  limbs — enough  to 
prove  he  was  alive. 

While  Jack  stood  surveying  him,  as  if  waiting 
another  attack,  the  mob  broke  into  the  most 
frightful  yells  and  made  a  rush  for  him.  He  had 
overthrown  those  that  had  been  matched  against 
him,  and  now  they  meant  to  kill  him  ;  but  Jack's 
faith  in  Ogallah  was  not  misplaced.  He  and  his 
brother  warriors  interfered  in  such  a  vigorous 
manner  that  not  a  hair  of  the  boy's  head  was 
harmed,  and,  turning  around,  he  walked  into  the 
lodge  of  the  chieftain,  conscious  that  he  had  won 
a  great  victory. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE    WAR    FEAST. 

TACK  CARLETON  S  triumph  over  the  Indian 
youth  was  complete.  In  a  fair  wrestling 
bout  he  had  flung  him  to  the  ground  with  a  force 
that  drove  the  breath  from  his  body,  and  gave  him 
a  more  vivid  idea  of  the  white  man's  views  of  that 
athletic  amusement  than  he  had  ever  entertained 
before.  But  what  was  to  be  the  outcome  of  this 
affair  was  more  than  the  boy  could  guess.  Physi- 
cal prowess  always  commands  respect  whether  the 
spectators  be  civilized  or  savage  ;  but  it  does  not 
insure  against  persecution. 

"  I  have  made  them  more  revengeful  than  be- 
fore/' was  the  thought  of  the  youth,  after  he  hur- 
ried back  into  Ogallah's  lodge,  and  sat  panting 
from  his  exertion:  "they  hate  me  because  I  am 
of  another  race  and  am  in  their  hands.  They  are 
afraid  of  the  chief  and,  therefore,  they  will  be 
more  careful  and  I  must  be  the  same." 

There  could  be  no  mistake  as  to  the  sentiments 


284  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

of  the  sachem  and  his  squaw.  They  were  de- 
lighted with  the  ability  shown  hy  the  pale-faced 
youth  who  had  evidently  overthrown  the  young 
champion  of  the  village.  Ogallah  grinned  and 
chattered  with  his  wife  who  grinned  and  chattered 
in"  turn.  Then  the  former  patted  Jack  on  the 
back  and  talked  very  fast.  The  boy  could  not 
doubt  that  he  was  uttering  the  most  high  flown 
compliments  and  he  did  a  great  deal  of  smiling 
and  bowing  in  response.  The  squaw  was  more 
demonstrative,  for,  after  bustling  about  the  half- 
expired  fire  for  awhile,  she  brought  forward  a 
piece  of  meat  which  she  had  taken  extra  pains  in 
cooking  and  placed  it  at  his  disposal.  Jack  was 
not  suffering  from  hunger,  but  he  very  gladly  ate 
the  food  and  nodded  in  acknowledgment. 

The  crowd  around  the  entrance  became  so  noisy 
that  the  chieftain  suddenly  lost  patience,  and, 
springing  to  his  feet,  he  dashed  the  bison  skin 
door  aside  and  speedily  scattered  them. 

As  Jack  sat  on  the  lodge  floor,  rapidly  recover- 
ing from  his  severe  exertion,  he  became  conscious 
of  a  peculiar  feeling  which  manifested  itself  at 
intervals.  When  he  moved,  he  was  slightly  dizzy 
and  his  heart  gave  several  throbs  that  were  more 


THE   WAR    FEAST.  285 

rapid  and  spasmodic  than  usual.  He  remained 
quiet,  wondering  what  it  could  mean,  but  feeling 
much  inclined  to  lay  it  to  the  exciting  scene 
through  which  he  had  just  passed.  When  he 
began  to  feel  alarmed  it  passed  off. 

But  if  Jack  counted  on  finding  all  the  hours 
dull  and  monotonous,  from  being  compelled  to 
stay  within  the  t-^pee  or  wigwam  of  the  Sauk 
chieftain,  he  was  greatly  mistaken.  Shortly  after 
eating  his  supplementary  breakfast,  Ogallah  went 
out,  leaving  the  youth  alone  with  the  squaw.  This 
caused  Jack  some  misgiving,  for  he  feared  his 
enemies  might  take  advantage  of  the  warrior's 
absence  to  punish  him  for  his  victory  over  the 
Indian  youth.  For  some  minutes  he  was  in  much 
trepidation,  and  the  feeling  was  not  lessened  when 
he  caught  sight  of  several  coppery  faces  peeping 
through  the  door.  However,  they  ventured  on  no 
greater  liberties  and  after  a  time  went  away. 

All  at  once  a  great  uproar  rose  through  the 
village.  Shouting,  whooping,  screeching  and  all 
sorts  of  unimaginable  noises  rent  the  air.  The 
sound  of  hurrying  feet  was  heard,  and  it  was  evi- 
dent that  something  of  an  extraordinary  character 
was  going  on.  Jack  looked  inquiringly  at  the 


286  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

squaw,  but,  though  she  must  have  known  the  ex- 
planation, she  failed  for  obvious  reasons  to  make 
it  clear  to  the  captive. 

Suddenly  Ogallah  came  into  the  lodge.  He 
uttered  a  few  hurried  words  to  his  wife  and  then 
beckoned  Jack  to  follow  him.  The  latter  had 
shoved  his  knife  back  in  place,  but  did  not  ven- 
ture to  take  his  rifle  which  stood  at  the  other  side 
of  the  lodge. 

"  I  wonder  what's  up  now,"  was  the  natural 
thought  of  the  lad,  as  he  hastened  after  him ; 
"  have  they  erected  a  stake  in  the  middle  of  the 
village  where  I  am  to  be  roasted  for  the  amuse- 
ment of  the  rest,  or  am  I  to  be  put  to  a  test  which 
I  won't  be  able  to  stand  ?  " 

But  fortunately  the  boy  was  mistaken  in  both 
his  theories.  The  hubbub  had  no  reference  to 
him  whatever. 

Beginning  the  night  before/ a  party  of  bucks 
and  squaws  had  been  employed  until  long  after 
daylight  in  cooking  the  carcass  of  a  bear,  that 
was  plump,  oily  and  in  the  best  condition.  It 
was  not  very  large,  but  where  there  was  so  little 
waste,  it  can  be  seen  there  must  have  been 
considerable  in  the  way  of  food. 


THE   WAR    FEAST.  287 

The  animal  was  now  fairly  roasted  and  the  time 
for  feasting  had  come.  Jack  understood  that 
much  when  he  ventured  outside  the  lodge  and 
saw  the  numbers  gathering  around  the  "festive 
board."  Naturally  he  clung  close  to  his  pro- 
tector, but  one  of  the  singular  features  attending 
his  captivity  among  this  offshoot  of  the  Sauk 
tribe  of  Indians,  was  the  readiness  with  which 
they  transferred  their  attention  from  one  object 
to  another.  No  one  showed  any  curiosity  in  him 
when  he  appeared  on  the  street — so  to  speak- 
but  all  pushed  their  way  toward  the  one  point  of 
interest. 

The  shouting  and  uproar  ceased  when  fourteen 
warriors  marched  forth  in  Indian  file,  and,  ar- 
ranging themselves  around  the  brown  crisp  mass 
of  meat,  made  ready  to  fall  to  work,  the  others 
watching  them.  They  were  all  fine  looking  fel- 
lows, their  faces  painted  and  their  preparations 
complete  for  hostilities,  with  the  exception  that 
their  rifles  were  left  aside,  merely  for  convenience 
sake,  until  the  end  of  the  festivities. 

Jack  Carleton  knew  he  was  looking  upon  a  war 
feast,  as  they  are  termed  by  the  Indians,  and 
which  were  more  common  among  those  people  at 


288  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

that  time  than  they  are  to-day.  The  bear  had 
been  carefully  cooked  expressly  for  them,  and 
looked  grotesquely  tempting,  as  the  crisped, 
browned,  and  oily  carcass  dripped  over  the  pile 
of  branches  and  green  leaves  to  which  the  cooks 
had  carried  it. 

Th£  American  Indian  is  ridiculously  supersti- 
tious, and  he  has  as  much  terror  of  an  odd  num- 
ber at  a  war  feast,  as  we  have  of  being  one  of 
thirteen  at  an  ordinary  dinner  party.  Under  no 
circumstances  would  the  Sauks  have  permitted 
such  a  defiance  of  fate  itself. 

When  the  fourteen  warriors  had  ranged  them- 
selves around  the  table,  they  stood  for  a  minute 
or  two,  while  the  others  held  their  breath  in  ex- 
pectancy. The  tallest  Indian,  who  was  the  leader 
of  the  little  company,  suddenly  whipped  out  his 
hunting  knife  and  looked  at  the  others,  who  imi- 
tated him  with  military  promptness.  Then  he 
muttered  some  command,  and  immediately  the 
whole  number  sprang  upon  the  waiting  carcass, 
which  was  carved  up  in  a  twinkling.  Each  cut 
himself  an  enormous  slice,  and,  stepping  back,  be- 
gan eating  with  the  voracity  of  a  wolf,  while  the 
others  looked  admiringly  on.  The  spectators  had 


THE    WAR   FEAST.  289 

held  their  peace  so  long  that  they  broke  forth 
again,  not  so  loud  as  before,  but  grunting,  chat- 
tering, and  gesticulating  like  so  many  children, 
while  Jack  Carleton,  taking  good  care  to  keep  close 
to  Ogallah  his  protector,  furtively  watched  the 
scene. 

The  capacity  of  the  red  man  for  fasting  and 
feasting  is  almost  incredible.  He  will  go  for  days 
without  a  mouthful,  and  then,  when  an  abundance 
of  food  is  presented,  will  gorge  himself  to  an  ex- 
tent that  would  be  sure  death  to  an  ordinary  hu- 
man being,  after  which  he  will  smoke,  blink,  and 
doze  for  several  days  more,  just  as  the  famous  boa 
constrictors  of  Africa  are  accustomed  to  do. 

Such,  however,  is  his  habit  only  when  driven  by 
necessity.  The  Sauks  lived  too  far  south  of  the 
frozen  regions  to  suffer  such  hardships,  but  one  of 
the  requirements  of  the  war-feast  was  that  each 
one  of  the  party  should  eat  all  that  he  had  cut 
from  the  carcass.  To  fail  to  do  so  was  a  sign  of 
weakness  sure  to  subject  him  to  ridicule. 

So  resolutely  did  the  warriors  address  them- 
selves to  the  task,  as  it  may  be  called,  that  they 
succeeded  with  the  exception  of  a  single  one. 
Two  or  three,  however,  found  it  all  they  could  do, 
15 


290  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

and  another  mouthful  of  the  coarse,  oily  meat, 
would  have  raised  a  rebellion  within  their  internal 
economy,  which  would  have  caused  general  wreck 
and  desolation. 

The  youthful  warrior  who  failed  was  the  one 
who  was  the  most  eager  at  the  first  for  the  feast. 
He  toiled  like  a  hero,  and  all  went  well  until  he 
reached  the  last  half  pound.  The  others,  grinning 
queerly  through  their  grease  and  paint,  watched 
him  as  did  the  group  on  the  outside  of  the  circle, 
while  he,  fully  alive  to  the  fact  that  he  was  the 
center  of  attention,  went  to  work  as  if  resolved  to 
do  or  die. 

It  took  several  vigorous  swallows  to  keep  down 
the  installment  which  had  descended,  while  he  held 
the  last  piece  in  his  hand  and  surveyed  it  with 
doubtful  eye.  It  finally  rested  uneasily  on  the 
stomach,  and  he  looked  more  hopefully  than  ever 
at  the  remaining  portion,  suspended  on  the  point 
of  his  hunting  knife. 

Evidently  he  was  not  afraid  of  that,  if  what  had 
preceded  it  would  only  keep  quiet.  Finally  he 
made  a  desperate  resolve  and  quickly  crammed  his 
mouth  with  the  oleaginous  stuff,  upon  which  he 
began  chewing  with  savage  voracity.  Possibly, 


THE   WAR    FEAST.  291 

if  he  could  have  got  it  masticated  enough  to  force 
down  his  throat  with  only  a  few  seconds'  delay,  all 
would  have  been  well,  but  suddenly  there  was  an 
upward  heave  of  the  chest,  a  sort  of  general  earth- 
quake ;  the  eyes  closed,  and  the  mouth  opened 
with  a  gape  so  prodigious  that  it  seemed  to  ex- 
tend from  ear  to  ear,  and  threatened  to  bisect  his 
head.  That  which  followed  may  be  left  to  the 
imagination  of  the  reader. 

General  laughter  and  taunts  greeted  the  failure, 
in  which  Ogallah  heartily  joined  ;  but  the  warrior 
took  it  in  good  part,  and  doubtless  felt  better  than 
did  any  of  the  others  participating  in  the  scene  of 
gluttony,  inasmuch  as  his  stomach  was  in  its  nor- 
mal condition. 

The  war  feast  finished,  the  fourteen  resumed 
the  form  of  a  circle,  stood  motionless  a  few  min- 
utes, and,  all  at  once,  began  dancing  in  the  most 
furious  manner.  The  spectators  joined,  Ogallah 
as  before  being  among  the  most  vigorous  in  the 
lead,  and  in  a  brief  while  the  strange  scene  was 
presented  of  warriors,  squaws,  and  children  bound- 
ing about,  swinging  their  arms  and  splitting  their 
throats  in  the  wildest  excitement. 

"  I  don't  suppose  it  will  do  for  me  to  be  the  only 


292  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

idle  one,"  said  Jack  Carleton  with  a  laugh  and  a 
quick  thrill,  "  so  here  goes  !  " 

And  with  a  "  loud  whoop "  he  leaped  high  in 
air,  and  began  shouting  in  as  discordant  tones  as 
those  around  him.  In  truth,  there  was  no  more 
enthusiastic  member  of  the  company  than  young 
Carleton,  who  jumped,  yelled,  and  conducted  him- 
self so  much  like  an  irrestrainable  lunatic  that  a 
spectator  would  have  supposed  he  was  setting  the 
cue  for  the  others. 

Ogallah  and  several  of  the  warriors  glanced  at 
the  pale  face  with  some  curiosity,  and  probably  a 
few  comments  were  made  upon  the  performance 
of  the  youth.  Their  precise  tenor,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  can  only  be  conjectured,  but  Jack  was 
confident  they  were  of  a  complimentary  character, 
for  the  heartiness  which  he  showed  must  have 
pleased  them. 

While  going  about  in  this  hilarious  fashion, 
there  were  many  collisions  and  overturnings. 
Once  Jack  bumped  so  violently  against  some  one 
that  both  turned  their  heads  and  glared  at  each 
other.  The  offender  was  the  Indian  youth  whom 
Jack  had  beaten  so  handsomely  in  the  wrestling 
bout.  For  an  instant  the  dusky  lad  held  his 


THE   WAR   FEAST.  293 

hand  OD  the  knife  in  his  girdle,  and  was  on  the 
point  of  rushing  at  Jack  ;  but  the  latter  mean- 
ingly grasped  the  handle  of  his  weapon,  and  re- 
turned his  glare  with  equal  fierceness. 

It  was  enough,  and  the  revelry  continued.  Had 
the  Sauks  been  in  possession  of  firewater,  the  ex- 
citement would  have  intensified,  until  weapons 
would  have  been  drawn  and  a  general  fight  pre- 
cipitated, accompanied  with  loss  of  more  than  one 
life.  Such  is  the  outcome  of  most  of  the  simi- 
lar feasts  held  among  the  red  men  all  through 
the  west :  but  there  was  not  a  drop  of  intoxi- 
cating stuff  within  reach  of  the  village,  and 
thus  the  murderous  wind-up  of  the  festival  was 
averted. 

The  dance  lasted  until  many  dropped  from  ex- 
haustion. Jack  Carleton  was  compelled  to  cease 
from  sheer  weakness,  and  staggering  to  one  side, 
sat  down  on  what  he  supposed  was  a  log,  bufc 
which  proved  to  be  a  very  live  Indian  who  was 
also  in  quest  of  rest.  Being  extended  on  his  face, 
he  threw  up  his  back,  much  after  the  manner  of  a 
mustang  when  "  bucking,"  and  Jack  was  sent 
sprawling. 

"It  don't  make  any  difference,"  muttered  the 


294  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

boy  with  a  laugh,  "  for  I'm  so  tired  that  I  can 
rest  in  one  place  as  well  as  another,  and  I'll  wait 
here  till  the  show  is  over." 

And  wait  he  did  for  the  conclusion,  which  came 
very  speedily. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

AN    ALARMING   DISCOVERY. 


the  war  party  grew  weary  of  the 
furious  dance,  they  stopped,  formed  them- 
selves in  Indian  file,  and  with  the  leader  at  the 
head,  marched  to  the  tepee,  where  they  had  left 
their  rifles.  They  reappeared  a  moment  later, 
each  bearing  his  weapon  in  hand,  and  quickly  re- 
formed as  before.  Then  all  uttered  several  loud 
whoops,  to  which  the  enthusiastic  supporters  re- 
sponded with  equal  vim,  and  they  marched  in  the 
same  file  and  with  the  same  steady  step  toward 
the  forest  on  the  other  side  the  clearing.  Right 
soon  they  vanished  from  view  among  the  trees. 
They  had  gone  in  quest  of  scalps,  but  in  the  hunt 
more  than  one  proud  spirited  brave  was  to  lose 
his  own  natural  head-gear,  and  of  those  who  went 
forth,  the  majority  never  came  back  again. 

Now  that  the  main  cause  of  the  hullabaloo  was 
removed,  the  Sauks  gained  more^time  to  view  their 
immediate  surroundings.  When  Jack  tottered  to 


296  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

one  side  to  obtain  the  needed  rest,  he  separated 
himself  from  Ogallah,  who  showed  no  signs  of 
wearying  of  the  terrific  exercise. 

"  I  guess  it  will  be  as  well  for  me  to  hunt  him 
up,"  was  the  decision  of  the  youth,  "  for  he  may 
need  my  care." 

But  when  the  boy  rose  to  his  feet  and  looked 
around  he  saw  nothing  of  the  sachem,  though  all 
the  rest  of  the  village  appeared  to  be  in  the  im- 
mediate neighborhood.  None  of  them  had  oifered 
to  molest  Jack,  but  he  felt  great  misgiving.  For- 
tunately the  lodge  of  the  chieftain  was  not  distant. 

While  the  dance  was  going  on,  an  experience 
befell  young  Carle  ton  which  has  not  been  told, 
but  which  should  be  given  In  the  bright  glare 
of  the  morning  sun,  the  countenance  of  every  one 
was  distinctly  visible,  and  Jack  was  impressed  by 
the  fact  that  one  heavy,  squat  redskin  was  view- 
ing him  with  peculiar  interest.  He  passed  in 
front  of  the  boy  several  times,  and  on  each  occa- 
sion cast  a  piercing  glance  at  him. 

This  of  itself  might  not  have  been  so  noticeable 
but  for  the  impression  which  deepened  on  Jack 
that  he  and  the  warrior  had  met  at  some  other 
time  and  in  some  other  place. 


AN    ALARMING   DISCOVERY.  297 

He  was  impatient  with  himself  because  he 
could  not  recall  the  circumstances.  Had  it  been 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Mississippi,  it  would  have 
been  no  wonder,  for,  from  his  earliest  boyhood  he 
had  been  accustomed  to  seeing  red  men,  and  it 
would  be  impossible  to  remember  them  all  ;  but 
he  was  convinced  he  had  met  the  Indian  since  he 
and  Otto  had  immigrated  to  Louisiana. 

Possibly  Jack  might  have  answered  the  ques- 
tion had  he  been  given  time  to  think  over  it  with- 
out disturbance ;  but  he  had  scarcely  begun  to 
look  around  for  Ogallah,  when  he  was  alarmed  by 
the  demonstrations  of  the  crowd  around  him. 
They  began  pushing  forward,  and  the  squaws  and 
children  showed  an  unpleasant  disposition  to  lay 
hands  on  him. 

There  was  no  use  of  standing  on  dignity.  In  a 
few  minutes  he  would  be  hemmed  in  so  he  could 
not  move,  and  the  lodge  of  the  chieftain  was  not 
far  away.  Shoving  a  little  screeching  girl  from 
his  path,  Jack  bounded  away  like  a  deer,  straight 
for  the  shelter.  The  act  was  so  sudden  that  it 
threw  him -in  advance  of  the  rest,  but  there  were 
plenty  of  runners  as  fleet  as  he,  and  despite  the 
start  he  gained,  several  were  at  his  heels,  and  one 


298  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

of  them  came  very  near  tripping  him.  Jack 
pressed  on,  and,  within  a  rod  of  the  entrance  to 
the  kingly  wigwam,  the  Indian  who  made  the  at- 
tempt to  trip  him  appeared  at  his  side,  and  then 
threw  himself  directly  in  front. 

One  glance  showed  the  fugitive  that  it  was  the 
youth  whom  he  had  overthrown  in  the  wrestling 
bout. 

"Oh,  it's  you,  is  it?"  exclaimed  Jack;  "you 
haven't  had  enough  yet !  " 

And,  quick  as  a  flash,  he  drove  his  fist  straight 
into  the  grinning  visage  with  all  the  force  he 
could  concentrate  in  his  good  right  arm.  The 
amazed  youth  described  a  back  somerset,  his  moc- 
casins up  in  the  air,  and  his  ugly  nose  flattened 
to  the  shape  of  a  crimson  turnip.  Then  leaping 
over  the  prostrate  figure,  Jack  made  several 
bounds,  and  dove  into  the  lodge  just  in  time  to 
avoid  colliding  with  Ogallah,  who  had  approached 
the  door  from  the  inside  to  learn  the  cause  of  the 
new  tumult. 

The  chief  went  far  enough  to  obtain  a  good  view 
of  the  audacious  youth  who  was  in  the  act  of  climb- 
ing to  his  feet,  and  groping  for  his  nose  and  prin- 
cipal features  in  a  blind  way,  as  though  doubtful 


AN    ALARMING   DISCOVERY.  299 

whether  any  of  them  were  left.  The  clamoring 
rioters  were  scattered  once  more,  Ogallah  adding 
a  few  words,  probably  meant  as  a  warning  against 
their  persecuting  his  ward,  for  it  may  as  well  be 
stated  that  from  that  time  forward  the  demonstra- 
tions against  Jack  were  of  a  much  less  serious 
nature. 

"  I  suppose  I've  got  to  fight  every  time  I  go  out 
of  the  lodge,"  said  young  Carleton,  with  a  dogged 
shake  of  the  head  ;  "  they  mean  to  kill  me  when- 
ever they  gain  the  chance,  and  more  than  likely 
I'll  have  to  go,  but  I'll  make  it  cost  them  more 
than  they  count  on.  When  I  can't  use  my  fists 
I'll  use  my  knife." 

The  mistress  of  the  establishment,  seating  her- 
self at  the  other  end  of  the  lodge,  lit  her  pipe 
with  as  much  indifference  as  though  nothing  un- 
usual had  taken  place.  Her  mongrel  pup  came 
trotting  along  the  space  in  his  side-long  fashion 
and  lay  down  with  his  nose  against  her  slouchy 
moccasins,  thereby  proving  his  bravery,  so  far  as 
any  offense  against  his  olfactories  was  concerned. 
Ogallah  having  made  his  speech  and  scattered 
the  rabble,  turned  about  and  came  slowly  after 
the  dog,  seating  himself  near  the  middle  of 


300  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

the  lodge,  where  he  also  lit  his  long-stemmed 
pipe. 

Just  then  some  one  pushed  the  bison  skin  aside, 
and  stepped  within  the  residence.  Despite  his 
sluggish  manner,  Ogallah  flirted  his  head  like  a 
flash,  probably  suspecting  that  one  of  Jack's  tor- 
mentors had  dared  to  follow  him  within  his  shel- 
ter. But  the  individual  was  a  full-grown  warrior, 
who  would  not  have  descended  to  such  business, 
and  the  grunt  of  the  sachem  was  meant  as  a 
cordial  welcome  to  him  who  grunted  in  return. 

Jack  Carleton  also  glanced  at  him,  and  was  as- 
tonished not  a  little  to  observe  that  he  was  the 
same  warrior  who  had  scrutinized  him  so  closely 
while  the  war  feast  was  going  on,  and  whom,  the 
youth  was  well  convinced,  he  had  met  elsewhere. 

There  could  be  no  mistake  as  to  the  interest 
which  the  visitor  felt  in  the  captive,  for  his  black, 
penetrating  eyes  were  not  removed  from  him  dur- 
ing the  several  minutes  which  followed  his  entry 
into  the  lodge.  Not  only  that,  but  halting  in 
front  of  the  lad,  he  began  talking  and  gesticulat- 
ing with  useless  vigor,  inasmuch  as  Jack  could 
not  gain  an  inkling  of  what  was  meant.  Indeed, 
had  the  youth  attempted  afterward  to  describe 


AN    ALARMING   DISCOVERY.  301 

the  gestures,  he  would  have  referred  to  them  all 
as  pointless,  excepting  the  series  which  consisted 
of  a  violent  sweep  of  both  arms  to  the  westward, 
after  pointing  his  finger  at  the  wondering  Jack 
Carleton.  Altogether  at  a  loss  as  to  their  signifi- 
cance, it  was  fortunate  (as  will  appear  hereafter), 
that  the  lad  was  able  to  recall  and  describe  the 
motions  to  another,  who  had  a  hundred  fold  more 
woodcraft  and  mental  acumen  than  he. 

Poor  Jack  could  only  shake  his  head  and  smile 
sadly  by  way  of  reply  to  this  performance,  and, 
after  Ogallah  had  added  something,  the  warrior 
ceased,  took  his  seat  beside  the  chief  and  em- 
ployed himself  in  smoking  and  talking. 

"  Who  can  he  be  ?  He  knows  me  and  I — ah  ! 
I  rememher ! " 

Sure  enough,  and  why  had  he  not  thought  of  it 
before  ?  He  was  one  of  the  five  Indians  who  had. 
left  the  other  five  and  gone  off"  with  Otto  Rel- 
staub,  on  the  day  that  he  and  Jack  Carleton 
were  captured  by  the  band  so  near  their  own 
home.  More  than  that,  Jack  had  seen  the  others 
that  same  morning  in  the  village  at  the  war  feast, 
though  the  recollection  of  them  was  so  shadowy 
that  it  had  not  caused  him  the  perplexity  pro- 


302  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

duced  by  the  appearance  of  the  warrior  before 
him. 

With  the  truth  came  the  startling  question — 
Where  was  Otto  ?  While  his  captors  were  in  the 
village,  he  certainly  was  elsewhere.  What  had 
become  of  him  ? 

The  question  fairly  took  away  the  breath  of 
Jack  and  made  him  faint  at  heart. 

"  He  can't  be  at  home,  for  Otto  never  could 
have  made  his  escape  from  them  ;  he  must  be 
dead!" 

The  first  declaration  of  the  youth  my  reader 
knows  was  true,  for  the  visit  of  Deerfoot,  several 
days  later  to  Martinsville,  as  has  been  described, 
proved  it.  As  to  the  second  theory,  that  will  be 
investigated  in  due  time. 

One  of  the  most  trying  features  of  this  occur- 
rence was  the  certainty  Jack  felt  that  the  Indian 
visitor  was  trying  to  tell  him  something  about 
Otto.  Those  •  swinging  arms,  swaying  head  and 
apoplectic  grunting  carried  a  message  within 
themselves,  which,  if  translated  would  be  found 
of  great  importance  ;  but  alas  !  the  interpreter 
had  not  come. 

While  the  lad  sat  on  the  bison  robe,  reflecting 


AN    ALARMING   DISCOVERY.  303 

over  the  matter,  be  became  aware  of  the  peculiar 
sensations  that  alarmed  him  some  time  before. 
His  head  was  dizzy,  a  curious  lightness  took  pos- 
session of  his  limbs,  and  he  felt  that  if  he  should 
undertake  to  cross  the  lodge,  he  would  stagger 
and  fall  like  a  drunken  man. 

"I'm  going  to  be  ill,"  he  said,  pressing  his 
hand  to  his  forehead ;  "  something  is  wrong 
with  me/' 

The  shock  which  came  with  the  conviction  was 
deepened  by  the  belief  that  he  was  about  to  go 
through  the  experience  that  had  befallen  poor 
Otto  Relstaub. 

"  He  fell  sick  while  tramping  through  the 
woods  with  the  Indians,  and  they  have  either 
tomahawked  or  left  him  to  die.  These  people 
•  with  all  their  Medicine  Men  and  Women  know 
nothing  about  curing  sick  folks,  and  if  I  do 
become  ill  that  will  be  the  end  of  me." 

The  boy  was  in  anything  but  a  cheerful  frame 
of  mind,  but  he  faced  the  position  like  a  hero. 
He  did  not  lose  heart,  though  he  was  sure  that 
his  situation  was  worse  than  ever  before,  and  he 
did  not  forget  any  of  the  incidents  of  the  jour- 
ney from  Kentucky  to  Louisiana,  when  many  a 


304  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

time  there  seemed  not  the  slightest  ground  for 
hope. 

After  smoking  awhile  Ogallah  and  his  visitor 
got  up  and  went  out  doors.  The  chief  was  gone 
but  a  short  time  when  he  came  back,  and,  as  he 
resumed  his  seat,  grunted  out  something  to  his 
squaw,  who  immediately  laid  down  her  pipe,  ten- 
derly shoved  the  nose  of  her  dog  aside  and  left 
the  place. 

While  Jack  was  wondering  what  the  meaning 
of  these  movements  could  be,  the  attack  of 
weakness  which  had  alarmed  him  passed  off,  like 
the  fleeing  shadow  of  a  cloud.  It  was  followed 
by  a  natural  rebound  of  spirits,  and  he  too  rose  to 
his  feet  and  walked  toward  the  door. 

The  sachem  looked  inquiringly  at  him,  but 
showed  no  objection  to  his  departure.  The  boy 
placed  his  hand  at  his  waist  to  make  sure  his 
hunting  knife  was  there,  and  at  the  entrance 
paused  a  moment  in  doubt. 

"  I  wonder  whether  they  will  set  on  me  again," 
he  said  to  himself ;  "if  they  do  I  will  use  my 
weapon — that's  certain,  and  then  there  will  be  a 
bigger  rumpus  than  before." 

The  knowledge  that  the  chief  who  had  served 


AN    ALARMING   DISCOVERY.  305 

so  many  times  as  friend  was  near  at  hand  added 
much  to  Jack's  courage,  when  he  finally  let  the 
bison-skin  door  drop  hehind  him. 

The  explanation  of  the  squaw's  departure  was 
manifest  at  once.  She  had  a  long  sharpened  stick 
in  her  hands,  with  which  she  was  stirring  the 
earth  around  some  hills  of  corn  growing  on  a  small 
plot  near  their  lodge.  Extending  his  gaze,  Jack 
saw  many  other  squaws  engaged  in  the  same  man- 
ner, but  among  them  all  was  not  a  single  man. 
They  were  lolling  in  their  wigwams,  smoking  or 
dozing,  or  hunting  in  the  woods  for  game  or 
scalps. 

The  younger  members  of  the  community 
seemed  to  be  the  happiest  of  all.  A  number  were 
playing  by  the  river,  and  some  were  plunging  into 
the  stream,  swimming,  diving,  and  disporting 
themselves  like  porpoises  ;  others  were  deep  in 
some  kind  of  game,  on  the  clearing  near  the  woods, 
and  all  were  as  shouting  and  demonstrative  as  so 
many  civilized  youngsters  engaged  in  a  game  of 
ball. 

Anxious  to  learn  whether  his  last  affray  with 
his  persecutors  was  likely  to  lessen  or  increase 
their  hostility,  Jack  Carleton  gradually  advanced 


306  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

from  the  lodge  until  lie  was  close  to  the  group 
playing  on  the  large  cleared  space,  while  those  by 
the  river  were  much  nearer  his  refuge  than  he. 

This  was  assuming  considerable  risk,  as  all 
must  admit,  but  the  boy  took  it  with  much  cau- 
tion and  with  his  eyes  wide  open,  meaning  to 
make  the  most  hurried  kind  of  retreat  the  instant 
it  might  become  necessary. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

"  GAH-HAW-GE." 

^VTATUBALLY  enough,  when  Jack  Carleton 
found  himself  standing  close  to  the  frolick- 
ing Indian  boys  on  the  clearing,  he  became  inter- 
ested in  the  game  they  were  playing,  which  he 
saw  was  systematic,  and  in  which  all  took  part. 

Like  amusements  of  that  sort,  it  was  simple  in 
its  character  and  he  quickly  caught  its  drift.  The 
boys  divided  themselves  into  two  parties  equal  in 
numbers,  one  of  which  was  ranged  in  line  at  the 
right  of  the  clearing  near  the  wood,  while  the 
other  did  the  same  at  the  other  goal,  which  was  a 
stump  close  to  the  stream.  Each  boy  held  a  stick 
with  a  forked  end  in  his  hand,  that  being  the  im- 
plement with  which  the  game  is  played. 

When  all  was  ready,  one  of  the  youthful  Sauks 
walked  out  from  the  party  near  the  woods,  hold- 
ing the  stick  with  the  crotch  of  a  small  branch 
supported  at  the  point  of  bifurcation.  This  crotch 
was  four  or  five  inches  in  length,  and  as  it  was 


308  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

carried  aloft,  it  looked  like  an  inverted  V,  raised 
high  so  that  all  might  see  it. 

Pausing  in  the  middle  of  the  clearing,  the 
dusky  lad  with  a  flirt  of  the  stick,  flung  the  crotch 
a  dozen  feet  in  air  and  uttered  a  shout  which  was 
echoed  by  every  one  of  the  waiting  players.  Both 
sides  made  a  furious  rush  toward  the  middle  of  the 
playground,  where  they  came  together  like  two 
mountain  torrents,  and  the  fun  began.  The  strife 
was  to  get  the  crotch  of  wood  to  one  of  the  goals, 
and  each  side  fought  as  strenuously  to  help  it 
along  toward  his  own,  as  a  side  of  foot-ball  players 
struggle  to  do  the  opposite  in  a  rough  and  tumble 
fight  for  the  college  championship. 

Inasmuch  as  the  only  helps  to  be  employed 
were  the  long,  forked  sticks  carried  in  their  hands, 
it  will  be  seen  that  the  game  offered  a  boundless 
field  for  the  roughest  sort  of  play,  mingled  with 
no  little  dexterity  and  skill.  Some  swarthy-hued 
rascal,  while  on  a  dead  run,  would  thrust  the 
point  of  his  stick  under  the  crotch,  and  lifting  it 
high  above  his  head,  start  or  rather  continue  with 
might  and  main  toward  his  goal.  At  that  time, 
as,  indeed,  at  every  minute,  each  young  American 
was  literally  yelling  like  so  many  "  wild  Indians." 


309 


Desperately  as  the  youth  ran,  others  more  fleet  of 
foot  speedily  overtook  him,  and  one,  reaching  for- 
ward while  going  like  a  deer,  lifted  the  crotch 
from  the  other  stick,  and  circling  gracefully  about, 
sped  for  his  own  goal.  But  some  youth  at  his 
heels  leaped  in  air  and  with  a  sweep  of  his  own 
stick  struck  the  other  and  sent  the  crotch  spin- 
ning and  doubling  through  the  air.  A  dozen 
other  sticks  were  plunged  after  it,  but  it  fell  to 
the  ground,  and  then  the  fight  reached  its  climax. 
The  parties  became  one  wild,  desperate,  shouting, 
yelling,  scrambling  "mob.  -Legs  and  arms  seemed 
to  be  flying  everywhere,  and  the  wonder  was  that 
a  score  of  limbs  and  necks  were  not  broken.  But 
it  rarely  hurts  a  boy  to  become  hurt,  and  though 
bruises  were  plenty,  no  one  suffered  serious  harm. 
After  a  few  minutes'  struggle,  the  crotch  would 
be  seen  perched  on  the  stick  of  one  of  the  boys, 
who,  fighting  his  way  through  the  mob,  ran  with 
astonishing  speed,  with  friends  and  foes  converg- 
ing upon  him,  and  the  certainty  that  he  would  be 
tripped  and  sent  flying  heels  over  head,  before  he 
could  reach  safety. 

After  awhile,  when  the  prize  had  been  gradu- 
ally worked  toward  the  goal  of  the  stronger  party, 


310  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

some  youth,  by  a  piece  of  skill  and  daring,  would 
make  a  dash  for  home  and  bear  down  all  opposi- 
tion. It  followed,  of  course,  that  his  side  had 
won,  and,  after  a  brief  rest,  the  game  was  renewed 
and  pressed  with  the  same  vigor  as  before. 

This  Indian  boy's  game  is  still  played  by  many 
Indian  tribes.  Among  the  Senecas  it  is  called 
"  Gab-haw-ge,"  and  I  make  no  doubt  that  more 
than  one  reader  of  these  pages  has  witnessed  the 
exciting  amusement,  which  so  thrilled  the  blood 
of  Jack  Carleton  that  he  could  hardly  restrain 
himself  from  taking  part  in  the  fun.  But  he  had 
no  crotched  stick,  without  which  he  would  have 
been  a  cypher,  and  then,  as  he  had  never  at- 
tempted the  game,  he  knew  he  possessed  no  skill. 
The  venture  would  have  been  rash,  for  in  the  ex- 
cited state  of  the  Indian  youths,  and  armed  as 
they  were  with  sticks,  it  is  almost  certain  that  at 
some  stage  of  the  game  they  would  have  turned 
on  the  pale  face  and  beaten  him  to  death. 

The  rough  amusement  lasted  fully  two  hours, 
during  which  Jack  Carleton  and  many  of  the 
warriors  were  interested  spectators.  At  last  the 
youngsters  became  weary  and  the  sport  ended. 
As  the  stumpy  youths  straggled  apart,  the  perspi- 


"  GAH-HAW-GE."  311 

ration  on  their  faces  caused  them  to  shine  like 
burnished  copper.  All  at  once  one  of  them  emitted 
a  whoop  and  broke  into  a  swift  run,  the  rest  in- 
stantly falling  in  behind  him,  and  speeding  with 
the  same  hilarious  jollity. 

The  heart  of  Jack  Carleton  stood  still,  for  the 
leading  Indian  was  coming  straight  toward  him. 

"  They're  aiming  for  me,"  was  his  conclusion, 
as  he  gripped  the  handle  of  his  knife  and  half 
drew  it  from  his  girdle. 

But  the  whooping  youth  swerved  a  little  to  the 
right,  and  was  ten  feet  away  from  the  terrified 
captive  when  he  dashed  by  with  unabated  speed. 
He  did  not  so  much  as  glance  at  Jack,  nor  did 
the  procession  of  screeching,  bobbing  moon-faces, 
as  they  streamed  past,  give  him  the  least  atten- 
tion. 

The  lad  who  set  off  with  the  lead,  kept  it  up 
with  undiminished  speed,  until  he  reached  the 
edge  of  the  river.  Then  he  made  a  leap  high  up- 
ward and  outward.  Jack  saw  the  crouching 
figure,  with  the  head  bent  forward,  the  arms 
crooked  at  the  elbow,  and  the  legs  doubled  at  the 
knees,  during  the  single  breath  that  it  seemed 
suspended  in  the  air.  Then  describing  a  beauti- 


312  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

ful  parabola,  he  descended,  and  striking  the 
water,  sent  the  spray  flying  in  every  direction, 
while  the  body  went  to  the  bottom.  The  others 
followed,  so  fast  that  the  dusky  forms  dropped 
like  hailstones,  tumbled  over  each  other,  splashed, 
dove,  frolicked,  shouted,  and  acted  with  the  same 
abandon  as  before. 

It  is  hy  such  sports  and  training  that  the 
American  Indian  acquires  his  fleetness,  high 
health,  and  powers  of  endurance. 

But  Jack  had  grown  weary  of  watching  the 
antics  of  the  youngsters,  and  turned  about  and 
walked  homeward.  He  saw  from  the  position  of 
the  sun  that  it  was  near  noon,  and  he  was  hun- 
gry ;  but  he  was  more  impressed  by  the  change  of 
treatment  since  his  last  affray  than  by  anything 
else.  He  walked  past  five  separate  wigwams  be- 
fore reaching  the  imperial  residence,  which  for  the 
time  being  was  his  own.  There  were  warriors, 
girls,  and  squaws  lounging  near  each  one.  They 
raised  their  repellant  faces  and  looked  at  the  cap- 
tive with  no  little  curiosity,  but  offered  him  no 
harm. 

When  half  way  home,  the  flapping  door  of  one 
of  the  conical  wigwams  was  pushed  aside,  and  the 


"  GAH-HAW-GE."  313 

stooping  figure  of  a  large  Indian  boy  straightened 
up  and  walked  toward  Jack,  who,  with  an  odd 
feeling,  recognized  him  as  the  youth  whom  he  had 
overthrown  in  wrestling,  and  afterwards  knocked 
off  his  feet  by  a  blow  in  the  face. 

"  I  wonder  whether  he  means  to  attack  me  ?  " 
Jack  asked  himself,  in  doubt  for  the  moment  as  to 
what  he  should  do.  At  first  he  thought  he  would 
turn  aside  so  as  to  give  the  young  Sank  plenty  of 
room  ;  but  that  struck  him  as  impolitic,  for  it 
would  show  cowardice. 

"No,  I  won't  give  him  an  inch  ;  he  is  alone, 
and  if  he  wants  another  row,  I'm  agreeable." 

It  was  hard  for  Jack  to  restrain  a  smile  when 
he  looked  at  the  face  of  the  Indian.  It  was  ex- 
ceptionally repulsive  in  the  first  place,  but  the 
violent  blow  on  the  nose  had  caused  that  organ  to 
assume  double  its  original  proportion,  and  there 
was  a  puffy,  bulbous  look  about  the  whole  coun- 
tenance which  showed  how  strongly  it  "  sympa- 
thized "  with  the  injured  part. 

Although  the  American  Indian,  as  a  rule,  can 
go  a  long  time,  like  the  eagle,  without  winking 
his  eyes,  this  youth  was  obliged  to  keep  up  a  con- 
tinual blinking,  which  added  to  his  grotesque 
24 


314  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

appearance,  as  with  shoulders  thrown  back  and  a 
sidelong  scowl  he  strode  toward  the  river.  Jack 
returned  the  scowl  with  interest,  and  it  scarcely 
need  be  said  that  the  two  did  not  speak  as  they 
passed  by. 

Feeling  some  fear  of  treachery,  the  captive  kept 
his  ears  open,  and  watched  over  his  shoulder  until 
he  reached  his  own  wigwam,  where  he  stood  for  a 
moment  and  gazed  in  the  direction  of  the  river, 
which  was  partly  shut  out  by  one  of  the  interven- 
ing lodges.  He  was  just  in  time  to  see  the  young 
Sauk  of  the  battered  countenance  leap  into  the 
river,  where,  doubtless,  he  was  able  to  do  much 
toward  reducing  the  inflammation  of  his  organ  of 
smell. 

When  the  captive  entered  his  home  as  it  may 
be  called,  he  saw  the  chieftain  stretched  flat  on 
his  back  and  snoring  frightfully.  The  dog  was 
asleep  on  the  other  side  the  fire,  and  the  squaw, 
after  toiling  so  long  in  the  "  corn  field,"  was  pre- 
paring the  mid-day  meal.  She  was  a  type  of  her 
sex  as  found  among  the  aborigines,  as  her  hus- 
band, even  though  a  monarch,  was  a  type  of 
the  lazy  vagabond  known  as  the  American  war- 
rior. 


"  GAH-HAW-GE."  315 

At  the  side  of  the  queen  lay  the  gourd  which 
usually  contained  water.  Peeping  into  the  round 
hole  of  the  upper  side,  she  shook  the  utensil,  and 
the  few  drops  within  jingled  like  silver.  She 
snatched  it  up,  looked  toward  Jack,  and  grunted 
and  nodded  her  head.  If  the  lad  could  not  under- 
stand the  language  of  the  visitor  sometime  before, 
he  had  no  such  difficulty  in  the  case  of  the  squaw. 
With  real  eagerness  lie  sprang  forward  and  hastened 
out  of  the  wigwam  to  procure  what  was  needed. 

The  one  visit  which  he  made  the  spring  in  the 
morning  had  rendered  him  familiar  with  the  route, 
and  it  took  but  a  minute  or  two  for  him  to  fill  the 
gourd  and  start  on  his  return.  He  found  that  a 
number  of  young  girls  had  followed  him,  and  were 
at  his  heels  all  the  way  back ;  but,  though  they 
talked  a  good  deal  about  him,  and  displayed  as 
much  curiosity  as  their  brothers,  they  did  not  mo- 
lest him.  Once,  when  they  ventured  rather  too 
close,  Jack  whipped  out  his  knife,  raised  it  on 
high,  and  made  a  leap  at  them,  expanding  his 
eyes  to  their  widest  extent,  and  shouting  in  his 
most  terrifying  tone,  "  Boo  !  " 

It  produced  the  effect  desired.  The  young 
frights  scattered  with  screams  of  terror,  and 


316  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

hardly  ventured  to  peep  out  of  their  homes  at  the 
ogre  striding  by. 

When  Jack  entered  the  lodge  he  found  Ogallah 
awake.  Evidently  he  was  not  in  good  humor,  for 
his  manner  showed  he  was  scolding  his  much 
better  half,  who  accepted  it  all  without  reply  or 
notice.  No  doubt  she  received  it  as  part  of  the 
inevitable. 

The  chief,  however,  refrained  from  following  the 
civilized  custom  of  beating  the  wife,  and  when  the 
meat  and  a  species  of  boiled  greens  were  laid  on 
the  block  of  wood  which  answered  for  a  table,  his 
ill-mood  seemed  to  have  passed,  and  he  ate  with 
his  usual  relish  and  enjoyment. 

Jack  Carleton  crossed  his  legs  like  a  tailor  at 
his  side  of  the  board,  but  before  he  could  eat  a 
mouthful  a  violent  nausea  seized  him,  his  head 
swam,  and  he  was  on  the  verge  of  fainting. 
Ogallah  and  his  squaw  noticed  his  white  face  and 
looked  wonderingly  at  him. 

"  I'm  very  ill  !  "  gasped  Jack,  springing  to  his 
feet,  staggering  a  few  steps,  and  then  lunging  for- 
ward on  the  bison  skin,  where  he  flung  himself 
down  like  one  without  hope. 

The  violence   of  the  attack   quickly  subsided, 


"  GAH-HAW-GE."  317 

but  there  remained  a  faintness  which  drove  away 
every  particle  of  appetite,  and  it  was  well  that 
such  was  the  case,  for  had  he  taken  any  food  in 
his  condition  the  result  must  have  been  serious. 

Meanwhile  the  squaw  had  assumed  her  place  at 
the  table  by  her  liege  lord,  and  both  were  champ- 
ing their  meal  as  though  time  was  limited,  and 
there  was  no  call  to  feel  any  interest  in  the  poor 
boy  who  lay  on  his  rude  couch,  well  assured  that 
his  last  illness  was  upon  him. 

"  What  do  they  care  for  me  ?  "  muttered  Jack, 
his  fright  yielding  to  a  feeling  of  resentment,  as 
the  violence  of  the  attack  subsided.  "  I  wonder 
that  they  spared  my  life  so  long.  They  would 
have  been  more  merciful  had  they  slain  me  in  the 
woods  as  they  did  Otto,  instead  of  bringing  me 
here  to  be  tormented  to  death,  and  as  I  know  they 
mean  to  do  with  me." 

Lying  on  his  arm,  he  glared  at  the  couple  with 
a  revengeful  feeling  that  was  extraordinary  under 
the  circumstances.  A  morbid  conviction  fastened 
itself  upon  him  that  Ogallah  had  taken  him  to 
his  lodge  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  him  until  he 
was  in  the  best  physical  condition,  when  he  would 
subject  him  to  a  series  of  torturing  and  fatal 


318  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

ceremonies    for    the    amusement    of   the    entire 
village. 

In  the  middle  of  these  remarkable  sensations 
exhausted  nature  succumbed,  and  the  captive  fell 
asleep. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

A    PATIENT    OF    THE    MEDICINE    MAN. 

~TYT~HEN  Jack  Carleton  awoke,  it  was  night 
and  the  rain  was  falling.  He  was  fever- 
ish and  his  brain  was  so  overwrought  that  it  was 
a  full  minute  before  he  could  call  to  mind  where 
he  was.  His  slumber  had  been  disturbed  toward 
the  latter  part  by  dreams  as  wild,  vague  and  un- 
imaginable as  those  which  taunt  the  brain  of  the 
opium  eater. 

When  he  remembered  that  he  was  in  the  wig- 
wam of  Ogallah,  the  chieftain,  he  turned  upon 
his  side  and  raised  his  head  on  his  elbow.  The 
fire  at  the  other  end  of  the  apartment  that  had 
been  burning  brightly,  had  gone  down  somewhat, 
but  enough  remained  to  light  up  the  interior  so 
that  the  familiar  objects  could  be  seen  with 
considerable  distinctness. 

He  observed  the  figure  of  the  sachem  stretched 
out  in  the  dilapidated  slouchiness  peculiar  to 
himself.  He  did  not  bother  to  remove  any  of  his 


320  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

clothing,  and,  though  the  place  was  quite  chilly 
he  drew  none  of  the  bison  robes  over  him.  He 
had  lain  down  on  one,  but  had  managed  in  some 
way  to  kick  it  half  way  across  the  lodge,  and  his 
couch,  therefore,  was  the  simple  earth,  which 
served  better  than  a  kingly  bed  of  eider  down 
could  have  done. 

The  favorite  posture  of  the  queenly  consort  was 
not  a  prone  one,  but  that  of  crouching  in  a  heap 
near  the  coals,  where,  with  a  blanket  that  had 
never  been  washed  since  it  was  put  together  years 
before,  gathered  about  her  shoulders,  her  skinny 
arms  clasping  her  knees  and  her  head  bowed  for- 
ward, she  would  sleep  for  hours  at  a  time.  The 
reflection  of  the  flickering  flames  against  her 
figure  caused  it  to  look  grotesque  in  the  fitful 
light,  and  the  captive  gazed  at  her  for  a  long 
time,  led  to  do  so  by  an  infatuation  which  was  not 
strange  under  the  circumstances. 

There,  too,  was  the  dog  which,  could  he  have 
been  given  his  way,  would  have  done  nothing  all 
his  life  but  sleep  and  eat.  As  was  his  custom,  he 
was  at  the  feet  of  his  mistress,  a  position  which 
he  seemed  to  prefer  above  all  others.  Then  the 
blankets,  deer  and  bison  skins,  and  rude  articles 


A   PATIENT   OF   THE   MEDICINE   MAN.         321 

hanging  about  the  room,  the  two  columns  in  the 
center  supporting  the  clumsy  roof,  the  craggy  logs 
and  sticks  at  the  side,  the  hanging  skin  which 
served  as  a  door  and  was  barely  visible,  the  tum- 
ble down  appearance  of  everything,  and  withal 
the  solemn  stillness  which  brooded  within  the 
lodge  :  all  these  made  the  scene  wierd  and  impres- 
sive in  a  striking  degree. 

The  fire  burned  so  fitfully  that  it  threw  ghostly 
shadows  about  the  apartment,  sometimes  flooding 
it  with  light,  and  again  falling  so  low  that  the 
other  end  of  the  lodge  could  not  be  seen  at  all. 
Without,  the  night  could  not  have  been  more  dis- 
mal. There  was  no  thunder  or  lightning,  and  the 
rain  fell  with  that  steady  patter  on  the  leaves, 
which  at  ordinary  times  forms  the  most  soothing 
accompaniment  of  sleep,  but  which  to  Jack 
Cirleton  only  added  to  his  dismal  dejection  of 
spirits. 

The  roof  of  the  lodge  was  so  thick  and  diversi- 
fied in  its  composition  that  the  music  of  the  pat- 
ter on  the  shingles  was  lost.  At  intervals  the 
wind  stirred  the  limbs,  and,  though  none  of  the 
trees  were  very  close,  the  lad  could  hear  the 
soughing  among  the  branches,  as  the  hunter 


322  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

hears  it  in  early  autumn  when  the  leaves  begin 
to  fall. 

Could  the  melancholy  croaking  of  frogs  in  the 
distance  have  fallen  on  the  ears  of  the  boy,  he 
would  have  had  all  the  factors  that  go  to  bring  on 
the  most  absolute  loneliness  of  which  a  human 
being  is  capable.  Unfortunately  Jack  did  not 
need  that  addition  to  render  his  misery  complete, 
for  it  was  furnished  by  his  own  condition  and 
situation. 

"  I  am  many  long,  long  miles  from  home,"  he 
reflected,  as  a  sharp  pain  gyrated  through  his 
brain,  and  the  flickering  fire  seemed  to  be  bob- 
bing up  and  down  and  back  and  forth  in  a  witches' 
dance  ;  "  and  little  hope  is  there  of  my  ever  seeing 
mother  again.  Ah;  if  I  was  only  there  now  !  " 

He  let  his  head  fall  back  and  heaved  a  deep 
sigh.  He  recalled  his  plain  but  comfortable  bed, 
which  became  the  most  deliciously  comfortable  the 
mind  can  conceive,  when  his  mother  shoved  the 
blankets  in  about  him,  or  "  tucked  him  up,"  as 
she  never  failed  to  do  every  evening  he  was  at 
home  ;  the  good-night  kiss  from  those  affectionate 
lips  ;  the  magic  touch  of  those  fingers  which 
pushed  back  the  hair  from  his  forehead,  ere  she 


A   PATIENT    OF    THE    MEDICINE    MAN.         323 

bent  over  him  with  the  last  salute  ;  the  loving, 
caressing  care  when  he  was  threatened  with  the 
slightest  illness,  which  made  the  boy  long  for  ill- 
ness for  the  sake  of  such  care  :  these  and  other 
blessed  memories  came  back  with  a  power  which 
caused  the  eyes  to  overflow  with  sorrow. 

Ah,  fortunate  is  that  boy,  even  though  his  years 
carry  him  to  the  verge  of  full  manhood,  who  has 
his  mother  to  watch  over  his  waking  and  sleeping 
hours,  and  her  prayers  to  follow  his  footsteps 
through  life. 

The  pattering  rain,  the  sighing  wind,  and  the 
ghostly,  semi-darkness  soothed  the  sachem  and  his 
wife,  but  Jack  Carle  ton  was  as  wide  awake  as  when 
pushing  across  the  Mississippi  in  the  half  over- 
turned canoe,  with  the  fierce  Shawanoes  firing  at 
him  and  his  friends.  Probably,  in  the  entire  In- 
dian village,  he  was  the  only  one  who  was  awake. 
Had  a  band  of  Sioux  or  Iroquois  stolen  through 
the  woods  and  descended  on  the  Sauks  they  would 
have  been  found  defenceless  and  unprepared. 

Through  one  of  the  crevices  behind  Jack,  came 
a  draught  of  wind  which,  striking  him  on  his 
shoulders,  caused  him  to  shiver.  He  moved  a 
little  distance  away,  and  drew  the  bison  robe 


324  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

closer  about  him,  for  though  a  raging  fever  was 
coursing  through  his  veins,  he  knew  the  danger  of 
subjecting  himself  to  such  exposure. 

He  was  consumed  with  thirst,  and  seeing  the 
clumsy  gourd  by  the  side  of  the  sleeping  squaw,  he 
crawled  forward  on  his  hands  and  knees  in  the 
hope  of  finding  water  in  it.  Fortunately  there 
was  an  abundance  and  he  took  a  long,  deep 
draught  of  the  fluid,  which  was  not  very  fresh  nor 
cold,  but  which  was  the  most  refreshing  he  had 
ever  swallowed. 

Creeping  back  to  his  primitive  couch,  he  con- 
tinued a  deep  mental  discussion  of  the  question 
whether  the  best  thing  he  could  do  was  not  to 
steal  out  of  the  lodge  and  make  a  break  for  home. 
There  could  be  little,  if  any  doubt,  as  to  the  ease 
with  which  such  a  start  could  be  made.  He  had 
only  to  rise  to  his  feet,  pass  through  the  deer-skin 
door,  which  was  merely  tied  in  position,  and  he 
could  travel  miles  before  morning  and  before  his 
absence  would  be  noted.  The  falling  rain  would 
obliterate  his  trail,  so  that  the  keen  eyes  of  the 
Sauks  would  be  unable  to  follow  it,  and  he  could 
make  assurance  doubly  sure  by  taking  to  the 
water  until  a  bloodhound  would  turn  up  his  nose 


A    PATIENT   OF    THE   MEDICINE   MAN.         325 

in  disgust.  Furthermore,  he  was  confident  that 
he  would  be  able  to  obtain  possession  of  his  rifle 
and  enough  ammunition  with  which  to  provide 
himself  food  on  the  way  home. 

This  was  what  may  be  called  the  rose-colored 
view  of  the  scheme,  which  had  a  much  more  prac- 
tical side.  While  under  ordinary  circumstances 
Jack  would  have  been  able  to  take  care  of  himself 
at  a  much  greater  distance  from  home,  and  in  a 
hostile  country,  yet  the  alarming  fact  remained, 
that  he  was  seriously  ill  and  such  exposure  was 
almost  certain  to  drive  him  delirious,  with  the 
certainty  of  death  to  follow  very  speedily. 

Though  he  took  such  a  gloomy  view  of  his  own 
position  among  the  Sauks  (whose  tribal  name,  of 
course,  he  had  not  yet  learned),  he  was  not  with- 
out a  certain  degree  of  hope.  He  had  suffered  no 
harm  thus  far  and  it  is  always  the  unexpected 
which  happens.  While  he  had  declared  to  him- 
self that  Ogallah  was  simply  training  him  for  the 
torture,  as  it  may  be  expressed,  yet  it  might  be 
the  chieftain  being  without  children,  meant  to 
adopt  him  as  a  son.  If  such  was  his  intention, 
manifestly,  the  best  thing  for  Jack  to  do  was  to 
lie  still  and  prayerfully  await  the  issue  of  events. 


326  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

No  doubt  if  you  or  I  were  in  his  sad  predicament, 
that  is  the  course  that  would  have  been  followed, 
but  Jack  could  not  bring  himself  to  submit  to  such 
inactivity  when  the  prospect  of  liberty  was  before 
him.  Allowance,  too,  must  be  made  for  the  con- 
dition of  the  boy.  He  was  scarcely  himself,  when, 
compressing  his  lips,  he  muttered, 

"I  won't  stay  here  !  They  mean  to  kill  me  and 
I  may  as  well  die  in  the  woods  !  I  will  take  my 
gun  and  go  out  in  the  night  and  storm,  and  trust 
in  God  to  befriend  me  as  He  has  always  done." 

Aye,  so  He  had  ;  and  so  He  will  always  befriend 
us,  if  we  but  use  our  opportunities  and  fly  not  in 
His  face. 

Carefully  he  rose  to  his  feet,  and,  gathering  the 
bison  robe  around  his  fevered  frame,  glanced  at  the 
two  unconscious  figures,  and  then  at  the  form  of 
his  rifle  leaning  against  the  side  of  the  lodge  and 
dimly  revealed  in  the  flickering  firelight. 

As  he  stepped  forward  to  recover  his  gun,  every- 
thing in  the  room  swam  before  his  eyes,  a  million 
bees  seemed  to  be  humming  in  his  brain,  and, 
clutching  the  air  in  a  vague  way,  he  sank  back  on 
his  couch  with  a  groan,  which  awakened  Ogallah 
and  his  squaw.  The  chief  came  to  the  sitting 


A   PATIENT   OF   THE   MEDICINE    MAN.         327 

position  with  a  surprising  quickness,  while  the  wife 
opened  her  eyes  and  glared  through  the  dim  fire- 
light at  the  figure.  The  dog  slumbered  on. 

Ogallah  seeing  that  it  was  only  the  captive  who 
was  probably  dying,  lay  back  again  on  the  bare 
earth  and  resumed  his  sleep.  The  woman  watch- 
ed the  lad  for  several  minutes  as  if  she  felt  some 
interest  in  learning  whether  a  pale  face  passed  away 
in  the  same  manner  as  one  of  her  own  race.  Inas- 
much as  the  sick  boy  was  so  long  in  settling  the 
question,  she  closed  her  eyes  and  awaited  a  more 
convenient  season. 

From  the  moment  Jack  Carleton  succumbed, 
helpless  in  the  grasp  of  the  fiery  fever,  he  became 
sick  nigli  unto  death.  Those  who  have  been  so 
afflicted  need  no  attempt  to  tell  his  experience  or 
feelings.  Why  he  should  have  fallen  so  critically 
ill,  cannot  be  judged  with  certainty,  nor  is  it  a 
question  of  importance  ;  the  superinducing  cause 
probably  lay  in  the  nervous  strain  to  which  he  was 
subjected. 

He  instantly  became  delirious  and  remained  so 
through  the  night.  He  talked  of  his  mother,  of 
Deerfoot,  of  Otto,  and  of  others  ;  was  fleeing  from 
indescribable  dangers,  and  he  frequently  cried  out 


328  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

in  his  fright.  The  chief  and  his  squaw  heard  him 
and  understood  the  cause,  but  never  raised  their 
hands  to  give  him  help. 

Jack  became  more  quiet  toward  morning  and 
fell  into  a  fitful  sleep  which  lasted  until  the  day 
was  far  advanced.  Then,  when  he  opened  his 
eyes,  his  brain  still  somewhat  clouded,  he  uttered 
a  gasp  of  dismay  and  terror. 

Crouching  in  the  lodge  beside  him  was  the  most 
frightful  object  on  which  he  had  ever  looked.  It 
had  the  form  of  a  man,  but  was  covered  with  skins 
like  those  of  a  bear  and  bison,  and  a  long  thick 
horn  projected  from  each  corner  of  the  forehead. 
The  face,  which  glared  out  from  this  unsightly 
dress,  was  covered  with  daubs,  rings  and  splashes 
of  red,  white  and  black  paint,  applied  in  the  most 
fantastic  fashion.  The  black  eyes,  encircled  by 
yellow  rings,  suggested  a  resemblance  to  some 
serpent  or  reptilian  monster.  The  figure  held  a 
kind  of  rattle  made  of  hollow  horn  in  either  hand, 
and  was  watching  the  countenance  of  the  sick  boy 
with  close  attention.  When  he  saw  the  eyes  open, 
he  made  a  leap  in  the  air,  began  a  doleful  chant, 
swayed  the  rattles  and  leaped  about  the  lodge  in 
the  most  grotesque  dance  that  can  be  imagined. 


A   PATIENT   OF    THE   MEDICINE    MAN.         329 

Ogallah  and  his  squaw  were  not  present,  so  Jack 
had  the  hideous  creature  all  to  himself. 

Enough  sense  remained  with  the  hoy  for  him 
to  know  that  he  was  the  Medicine  Man  of  the 
tribe,  whom  the  chieftain  had  been  kind  enough 
to  send  to  his  help.  Instead  of  giving  the  youth 
the  few  simple  remedies  he  required,  he  resorted 
to  incantation  and  sorcery  as  has  been  their  cus- 
tom for  hundreds  of  years.  The  barbarian  fraud 
continued  to  chant  and  rattle  and  dance  back  and 
forth,  until  Jack's  eyes  grew  weary  of  following 
the  performance.  The  mind,  too,  which  was  so 
nigh  its  own  master  in  the  morning,  grew  weaker, 
and  finally  let  go  its  hold.  Sometimes  the  waltz- 
ing Medicine  Man  suddenly  lengthened  to  the 
height  of  a  dozen  yards  ;  sometimes  he  was  bob- 
bing about  on  his  head,  and  again  he  was  ten 
times  as  broad  as  he  was  long,  and  hopping  up 
and  down  on  one  short  leg.  From  the  other  side 
of  the  lodge  he  often  made  a  bound  that  landed 
him  on  the  bison  skin,  which  lay  over  the  breast 
of  the  sick  boy,  where  he  executed  a  final  tattoo 
that  drove  the  last  vestige  of  consciousness  from 
him. 

It  was  all  a  torturing  jumble  of  wild  and  grim 


330  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

fancies,  with  occasional  glimmerings  of  reason, 
which  led  Jack  to  clutch  the  air  as  if  he  would 
not  let  them  go  ;  but  they  whisked  away  in  spite 
of  all  he  could  do,  and  a  black  "  rayless  void " 
descended  upon  and  gathered  round  about  him, 
until  the  mind  was  lost  in  its  own  overturnings 
and  struggles,  and  all  consciousness  of  being 
departed. 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

CONVALESCENCE. 

A  S  nearly  as  can  be  ascertained,  Jack  Carleton 
-£-*-  lay  the  major  part  of  four  days  in  the  In- 
dian lodge,  sick  nigh  unto  death,  with  his  brain 
topsy  turvy.  During  that  time  he  never  received 
a  drop  of  medicine,  and  scarcely  any  attention. 
The  chief  was  gone  most  of  each  day,  and  the 
squaw  spent  many  hours  out  doors,  looking  after 
her  "  farm."  When  the  patient  became  unusually 
wild,  she  would  give  him  a  drink  of  water  and  at- 
tend to  his  wants.  A  few  of  the  Indians  peeped 
through  the  door,  but  as  a  whole  they  showed  sur- 
prising indifference  to  the  fate  of  the  captive. 
Had  he  died,  it  is  not  likely  he  would  have  been 
given  even  Indian  burial. 

Several  times  the  Medicine  Man  put  in  an  ap- 
pearance, and  danced  and  hooted  and  sounded  his 
rattles  about  the  lodge,  after  which  he  took  him- 
self off  and  would  not  be  seen  again  for  many 
hours. 


332  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

On  the  fourth  day,  while  Jack  was  lying  mo- 
tionless on  his  bison  skin  and  looking  up  to  the 
composite  roof,  his  full  reason  returned  to  him. 
Indeed,  his  brain  appeared  to  have  been  clarified 
by  the  scorching  ordeal  through  which  it  had 
passed,  and  he  saw  things  with  crystalline  clear- 
ness. Turning  his  head,  he  found  he  was  alone 
in  the  lodge,  and,  as  nearly  as  he  could  judge,  the 
afternoon  was  half  gone.  The  fire  had  died  out, 
but  the  room  was  quite  warm,  showing  there  had 
been  a  rise  of  temperature  since  the  night  of  the 
rain.  Peering  through  the  crevices  nearest  him, 
he  observed  the  sunlight  was  shining,  and  could 
catch  twinkling  glimpses  of  Indians  moving  hith- 
er and  thither ;  but  there  was  no  outcry  or  un- 
usual noise,  and  business  was  moving  along  in  its 
accustomed  channel. 

With  some  trepidation  and  misgiving,  Jack 
rose  on  his  elbow  and  then  carefully  assumed  the 
sitting  position.  Every  vestige  of  dizziness  had 
fled,  and  his  head  was  as  clear  as  a  bell.  He  was 
sensible,  too,  of  a  faint  and  increasing  desire  for 
food ;  but  he  was  equally  conscious  that  he  was 
very  weak,  and  it  must  be  days  before  he  could 
recover  his  normal  strength. 


CONVALESCENCE.  333 

After  sitting  for  a  few  minutes,  he  threw  the 
bison  skin  from  him,  and  rose  to  his  feet.  Having 
held  the  prone  position  so  long,  he  felt  decidedly 
queer  when  he  stood  erect  once  more.  But  he 
walked  back  and  forth,  and  knew  within  himself 
that  the  crisis  of  his  illness  had  passed  and  he 
was  convalescent. 

Of  course  it  was  Jack's  vigorous  constitution 
and  the  recuperating  power  of  nature  which,  un- 
der Heaven,  brought  him  round.  The  medicine 
man  had  no  more  to  do  with  his  recovery  than 
have  many  of  our  modern  medicine  men,  who,  sit 
beside  the  gasping  patient,  feel  his  pulse,  look  at 
his  tongue  and  experiment  with  the  credulous 
dupe. 

Jack  Carleton  possessed  enough  sense  to  appre- 
ciate his  condition.  Very  little  sickness  had  he 
ever  known  in  life,  but  there  had  been  plenty  of 
it  around  him,  and  his  mother  was  one  of  those 
nurses,  whose  knowledge  far  exceeded  that  of  the 
ordinary  physician,  and  whose  presence  in  the 
sick  room  is  of  itself  a  balm  and  blessing. 

The  boy  knew,  therefore,  from  what  he  had 
learned  from  her,  that  the  time  had  come  when 
he  must  be  extremely  careful  what  he  ate  and 


334  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

how  he  conducted  himself.  Moving  over  to  the 
unattractive  table,  he  found  some  scraps  of  meat 
left.  They  were  partly  cooked,  but  likely  as 
good  for  him  as  anything  could  have  been.  He 
ate  considerable,  chewing  it  finely,  and  finding 
his  appetite  satisfied  much  sooner  than  he  an- 
ticipated. 

But  that  for  which  Jack  longed  above  every- 
thing else  was  a  plunge  in  the  cool  water.  His 
underclothing  sorely  needed  changing,  and  he 
would  have  been  absolutely  happy  could  he  have 
been  in  the  hands  of  his  tidy  mother  if  only  for 
a  brief  while.  -^L 

However,  there  was  no  help  for  him,  and  he 
could  only  wait  and  hope  for  better  things.  After 
he  had  resumed  his  seat  on  the  bison  skins,  a  pro- 
ject took  shape  in  his  mind,  which  was  certainly 
a  wise  and  prudent  one,  with  promises  of  good  re- 
sults. Knowing  he  was  recovering  rapidly,  he 
resolved  to  keep  the  fact  from  his  captors.  While 
still  gaining  strength  and  vigor,  he  would  feign 
weakness  and  illness,  on  the  watch  for  a  chance 
that  was  sure  to  come  sooner  or  later,  and  which 
he  would  thus  be  able  to  improve  to  the  utmost. 

Convalescence  revived  with  ten-fold  force  the 


CONVALESCENCE.  335 

desire  to  end  his  Indian  captivity  and  return 
home.  Uncertain  as  he  was  of  the  time  that  had 
passed  since  starting  on  his  hunt,  he  knew  that  it 
was  long  enough  to  awaken  the  most  poignant 
anguish  on  the  part  of  his  loved  mother,  who 
must  suffer  far  more,  before,  under  the  most  favor- 
able circumstances,  he  could  return.  ^^ 

When  it  was  growing  dark,  Ogallah  and  his 
squaw  entered.  The  latter  quickly  had  the  fire 
going  and,  as  its  glow  filled  the  room,  both  looked 
inquiringly  at  the  patient  on  the  other  side  the 
lodge.  He  in  turn  assumed,  so  far  as  it  was  possi- 
ble, the  appearance  of  a  person  in  the  last  collapse, 
and  took  care  that  the  expression  of  his  counte- 
nance should  show  no  more  intelligence  and  vivacity 
than  that  of  an  idiot. 

The  couple  exchanged  a  few  words,  probably  re- 
ferring to  Jack,  but  they  seemed  to  care  little  for 
him,  and  he  was  glad  that  he  excited  so  slight  in- 
terest, since  they  were  less  likely  to  suspect  the 
deception  he  was  practicing  upon  them.  The 
squaw,  after  cooking  the  meat,  brought  a  piece 
over  to  Jack,  who  stared  in  an  absurd  fashion  be- 
fore shaking  his  head,  and  she  turned  about  and 


336  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

resumed  her  place  by  the  table,  after  which  she  lit 
her  pipe  and  squatted  near  the  fire. 

•The  patient  soon  fell  into  a  refreshing  sleep, 
which  lasted  until  it  began  growing  light,  when 
he  awoke,  feeling  so  well  that  it  was  hard  to  keep 
from  leaping  in  the  air  with  a  shout,  and  dashing 
out  doors.  He  was  sure  that  he  could  hold  his 
own  in  a  game  of  gah-haw-ge,  if  the  chance  were 
only  given. 

But  he  resolutely  forced  down  his  bounding 
spirits,  though  he  could  not  suppress  the  feeling  of 
hunger  which  was  fast  assuming  a  ravenous  inten- 
sity. When  the  squaw  offered  him  a  half  cooked 
piece  of  meat,  he  snatched  at  it  with  such  wolf-like 
fierceness  that  the  squaw  recoiled  with  a  grunt  of 
dismay.  Jack  made  sure  he  had  secured  the 
prize,  when  he  devoured  every  particle,  which 
luckily  was  enough  fully  to  satisfy  his  appetite. 

Whenever  the  boy  saw  the  chief  or  his  squaw 
looking  at  him,  he  assumed  the  role  of  a  dunce, 
and  it  must  be  confessed  he  played  it  with  un- 
questionable fidelity  to  nature.  He  probably 
afforded  considerable  amusement  to  the  royal 
couple  who  could  have  had  no  suspicion  that  the 
hopeful  youth  was  essaying  a  part. 


CONVALESCENCE.  337 

When  the  forenoon  was  well  along,  the  chief  and 
his  squaw  went  out,  the  latter  probably  to  do  the 
manual  labor,  while  the  former  occupied  himself 
with  "  sitting  around  "  and  criticising  the  style  in 
which  she  ran  the  agricultural  department  of  the 
household.  The  dog  rose,  stretched,  yawned  and 
then  lay  down  again  and  resumed  his  slumber. 
Jack  was  meditating  what  was  best  to  do,  when 
the  door  was  pushed  aside,  and  the  frightful- 
looking  Medicine  Man  crouched  to  the  middle  of 
the  lodge  and  glared  at  the  patient,  who  looked 
calmly  back  again,  as  though  he  felt  no  special  in- 
terest in  him  or  anything  else,  but  all  the  same 
Jack  watched  him  with  more  entertainment  than 
he  had  ever  felt  before. 

First  of  all,  the  man  with  the  horns  and  rattles, 
took  amazingly  long  steps  on  the  toes  of  his  moc- 
casins around  the  apartment  between  the  two 
"  columns "  which  supported  the  roof,  as  though 
afraid  of  awaking  the  baby.  At  the  end  of  each 
circumambulation,  he  would  squat  like  a  frog 
about  to  leap  off  the  bank  into  the  water,  and 
glare  at  the  boy,  the  corners  of  whose  mouth  were 
twitching  with  laughter  at  the  grotesque  perform- 
ance. 

15 


338  CAMP-FIRE   AND    WIGWAM. 

When  tired  of  this,  the  Medicine  Man  stopped 
in  the  middle  of  the  apartment,  and  all  at  once 
began  using  his  rattles  to  the  utmost,  and  dancing 
with  the  vigor  of  a  howling  dervish.  He  accom- 
panied, or  rather  added  to  the  racket,  by  a  series 
of  "  hooh-hoohs  ! "  which  were  not  loud,  but  ex- 
ceedingly dismal  in  their  effect. 

The  sudden  turmoil  awoke  the  canine,  which 
raised  his  head,  and  surveying  the  scene  for  a  mo- 
ment, rose,  as  if  in  disgust,  and  started  to  trot 
out-doors  to  escape  the  annoyance.  As  he  did  so, 
he  passed  directly  behind  the  Medicine  Man,  who, 
of  course,  did  not  see  him.  At  the  proper  moment 
he  made  a  backward  leap,  struck  both  legs  against 
the  dog,  and  then  tumbled  over  him  on  his  back, 
with  his  heels  pointing  toward  the  roof.  The  an- 
gered pup,  with  a  yelp  of  pain  and  rage,  turned 
about,  inserted  his  teeth  in  the  most  favorable 
part  of  the  body,  and  then  limped  out  of  the  wig- 
wam with  a  few  more  cries,  expressive  of  his  feel- 
ings. The  Medicine  Man  gave  one  frenzied  kick 
and  screech  as  the  teeth  of  the  canine  sank  into 
his  flesh,  and,  scrambling  to  his  feet,  dashed  out 
of  the  lodge  with  no  thought  of  the  dignity  be- 
longing to  his  exalted  character. 


CONVALESCENCE.  339 

Jack  Carleton  rolled  over  on  his  back  and 
laughed  till  the  tears  ran  down  his  cheeks  and  he 
could  scarcely  breathe.  It  was  the  funniest  scene 
on  which  he  had  ever  looked,  and  the  reaction,  fol- 
lowing his  long  mental  depression,  shook  him  from 
head  to  foot  with  mirth,  as  he  had  never  been 
shaken  before.  He  could  not  have  restrained  him- 
self had  his  life  been  at  stake.  After  awhile,  he 
would  rub  the  tears  from  his  eyes,  and  break  forth 
again,  until,  absolutely,  he  could  laugh  no  more. 

Laughter  is  one  of  the  best  tonics  in  the  world, 
and  that  which  convulsed  Jack  Carleton  was  the 
very  medicine  he  needed.  Though  still  weak,  he 
felt  so  well  that  he  could  not  have  felt  better. 

"  Fve  no  business  here,"  he  exclaimed,  coming 
sharply  to  the  upright  position  and  running  his 
fingers  through  his  hair  in  a  business-like  fashion  ; 
"  every  nerve  in  my  body  is  just  yearning  for  the 
cool  breath  of  the  woods,  and  I  feel  as  though  I 
could  run  and  tumble  over  the  mountains  all  day 
and  feel  the  better  for  it.  But  I  must  keep  it  up 
till  the  way  opens." 

After  thinking  over  the  matter,  he  decided  to 
venture  outside.  Rising  to  his  feet,  he  walked 
briskly  to  the  door,  pulled  the  skin  aside  and 


340  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

passed  out,  immediately  assuming  the  manner  and 
style  of  a  boy  who  was  barely  able  to  walk  and 
then  only  with  the  greatest  pain. 

Pie  expected  a  crowd  would  instantly  gather 
around  him,  but  he  actually  limped  all  the  way  to 
the  spring  without  attracting  any  special  attention. 
It  was  inevitable  that  a  number  should  see  him, 
and  two  yongsters  called  out  something,  but  he 
made  no  response  and  they  forebore  to  molest  him 
further. 

"  If  I  should  meet  that  chap  that  has  found 
out  he  can't  wrestle  as  well  as  he  thought  he 
could,  he  will  hardly  be  able  to  keep  his  hands  off 
me.  Maybe  he  would  find  he  had  made  another 
mistake,  and  maybe  it  would  be  I  who  was  off  my 
reckoning.  However,  I've  my  knife  with  me,  and 
I  will  use  that  on  him  if  there  is  any  need  of  it, 
but  I  hope  there  won't  be." 

The  water  tasted  deliciously  cool  and  pure,  and 
he  bathed  his  hands  and  face  again  and  again  in 
it.  He  longed  to  take  a  plunge  into  the  river,  but 
that  would  have  been  impolitic,  and  he  restrained 
the  yearning  until  a  more  convenient  season 
should  offer. 

Jack  finally  turned  about  and  began  plodding 


CONVALESCENCE.  341 

homeward,  his  eyes  and  ears  open  for  all  that 
could  be  seen  and  heard.  It  was  a  clear  warm 
day,  and  the  village  was  unusually  quiet.  Some 
of  the  squaws  were  working  with  their  primitive 
hoes,  the  children  were  frolicking  along  the  edge 
of  the  wood,  where  the  shade  protected  them 
from  the  sun,  and  the  warriors  were  lolling  within 
the  tepees  or  among  the  trees.  More  than  likely 
the  major  part  of  the  large  boys  were  hunting  or 
fishing. 

Sure  enough,  Jack  was  still  beyond  the  limits 
of  the  village,  when  he  saw  his  old  antagonist 
walking  toward  him.  The  Indian  lad  was  alone, 
but  several  squaws  and  warriors  were  watching  his 
movements,  as  though  he  had  promised  them 
some  lively  proceedings.  Jack  noticed  that  his 
nose  had  assumed  its  normal  proportions,  from 
which  he  concluded  that  more  time  than  was 
actually  the  case  had  elapsed  since  he  himself  was 
prostrated  by  illness.  The  pugnacious  youth  ad- 
vanced in  his  wary  fashion,  gradually  slackening 
his  gait  until  nearly  opposite  the  pale  face,  who 
felt  that  the  exigencies  of  the  situation  demanded 
he  should  brace  up  so  as  to  impress  the  youth 
with  the  peril  of  attacking  him. 


342  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

While  several  paces  separated  the  two,  the  In- 
dian came  to  a  halt,  as  if  waiting  for  the  other. 
It  would  not  do  to  show  any  timidity,  and,  with- 
out changing  in  the  least  his  pace,  the  pale  faced 
youth  partly  drew  his  knife  from  his  girdle  and 
muttered  with  a  savage  scowl  : 

"  I'm  ready  for  you,  young  man  ! " 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

OUT     IN     THE     WORLD. 

T~T  cannot  be  doubted  that  the  Indian  youth  in- 
tended  to  make  an  assault  on  Jack  Carleton. 
He  must  have  known  of  his  prostrating  illness 
and  concluded  that  he  was  a  much  less  dangerous 
individual  than  when  they  first  met ;  but  there 
was  something  in  the  flash  of  the  captive's  eye 
and  u  meaning  in  the  act  of  drawing  his  knife 
part  way  from  his  girdle,  which  caused  the  young 
Sauk  to  hesitate.  Evidently  he  concluded  that 
much  could  be  said  for  and  against  the  prudence 
of  opening  hostilities. 

Jack  strode  forward,  with  his  shoulders  thrown 
back  and  a  scowl,  as  though  he  preferred  that  the 
youth  should  make  the  attack,  He  kept  his  gaze 
on  the  savage  until  some  distance  beyond  him,  the 
latter  turning  as  if  on  a  pivot  and  narrowly  watch- 
ing him  to  the  very  door  of  the  lodge.  Jack  then 
withdrew  his  attention  and  took  a  survey  of  mat- 
ters in  front. 


344  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

The  same  quiet  which  he  had  noticed  a  short 
time  before  held  reign.  The  few  Indians  moving 
about  paid  no  attention  to  the  lad,  with  the  ex- 
ception, perhaps,  of  one  :  that  was  Ogallah,  the 
chieftain  who  had  just  noticed  him  on  his  return 
from  the  spring.  The  noble  head  of  the  band  was 
lolling  in  the  shade  of  one  of  the  wigwams,  dis- 
cussing affairs  of  state  with  one  of  his  cabinet, 
when  he  observed  the  youth.  Summoning  all  his 
latent  energy,  he  rose  to  his  feet  and  strolled  in 
the  direction  of  his  own  home.  The  moment 
Jack  saw  him,  he  assumed  the  most  woe-begone 
appearance  it  was  possible  to  wear.  The  defiant 
attitude  and  manner,  which  were  a  challenge  of 
themselves,  vanished  :  the  shoulders  drooped  for- 
ward :  the  step  became  slouchy  and  uncertain, 
and  the  poor  fellow  looked  as  if  about  to  sink  to 
the  ground  in  a  final  collapse. 

Pretending  not  to  see  the  sachem,  Jack  feebly 
drew  the  bison  skin  aside  and  pitched  into  the 
lodge.  Glancing  around,  he  found  he  was  alone, 
whereupon  he  strode  straight  across  the  space,  lay 
back  on  his  couch,  and  kicked  up  his  heels  like  a 
crowing  infant. 

"  I  must  work  off  some  of  this  steam  or  I  shall 


OUT   IN  THE   WORLD.  345 

burst,"  he  said  to  himself,  rolling  and  tumbling 
about  in  the  very  abandon  of  rapid  convalescence : 
"  It's  hard  work  for  me  to  play  sick,  but  it  must 
be  done  for  the  big  prize  that  is  at  stake." 

He  kept  close  watch  on  the  entrance,  and,  when 
a  hand  suddenly  drew  the  skin  aside  and  the  bent 
figure  of  the  chieftain  came  through  and  straight- 
ened up  within  the  lodge,  young  Carle  ton  had  the 
appearance  of  a  person  whose  sands  of  life  were 
nearly  run  out. 

Ogallah  walked  forward  and  examined  him 
closely.  He  saw  a  youth  who  was  unquestionably 
a  "  pale  face,"  staring  vacantly  at  him  for  a  few 
seconds,  and  who  then  rolled  on  his  face  with  a 
groan  that  must  have  been  heard  some  distance 
beyond  the  lodge.  Restless  flingings  of  the  limbs 
followed,  and,  when  the  sachem  turned  away,  he 
must  have  concluded  that  it  would  never  be  his 
privilege  to  adopt  the  young  gentleman  into  his 
family. 

Toward  night  the  squaw  and  dog  appeared  and 
the  domestic  economy  of  the  aboriginal  residence 
went  on  as  before.  When  a  piece  of  cooked  meat 
was  brought  to  Jack,  he  devoured  it  with  a  fe- 
rocity which  threatened  incurable  dyspepsia,  and 


346  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

he  swallowed  a  goodly  draught  of  water  freshly 
brought  from  the  spring. 

Recalling  the  mistake  he  made  while  on  the 
journey  through  the  woods  to  the  village,  Jack 
Carle  ton  resolved  he  would  not  fail  through  any 
similar  forgetfulness.  He  fell  asleep  at  that  time 
on  account  of  his  exhaustion,  but  now  the  case 
was  different  :  he  had  had  enough  slumber  to  last 
two  days,  while  his  brain  was  so  clear  and  full  of 
the  scheme  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  rest 
until  after  it  had  been  tested. 

Nothing  is  more  weary  than  the  waiting  which 
one  has  to  undergo  when  placed  in  his  position. 
The  hours  drag  by  with  scarcely  moving  footsteps, 
and  before  the  turn  of  night  comes,  one  is  apt  to 
believe  the  break  of  day  is  at  hand.  From  his 
couch,  Jack  furtively  watched  how  things  went, 
which  was  much  the  same  as  he  had  seen  be- 
fore. 

The  pup  ate  until  they  would  give  him  no  more 
and  then  stretched  out  at  the  feet  of  the  squaw, 
who,  having  finished  her  meal,  lit  her  pipe  and 
puffed  away  with  the  dull  animal  enjoyment 
natural  to  her  race.  The  chief  himself  led  in  that 
respect,  and  the  two  kept  it  up,  as  it  seemed  to 


OUT    IN    THE    WORLD.  347 

Jack,  doubly  as  long  as  ever  before.  At  last  they 
lay  down  and  slept. 

The  captive  had  noted  where  his  rifle  was 
placed.  It  leaned  against  the  side  of  the  lodge 
where  it  had  stood  every  time  he  saw  it,  so  that, 
if  he  could  steal  out  of  the  place  in  the  night 
without  arousing  the  inmates,  it  would  be  easy 
for  him  to  take  the  gun  with  him. 

The  fire  flickered  and  burned  up,  then  sank, 
flared  up  again,  and  at  last  went  into  a  steady 
decline,  which  left  the  room  filled  with  a  dull 
glow  that  would  have  failed  to  identify  the  objects 
in  sight  had  not  the  boy  been  familiar  with  their 
appearance. 

When  convinced  that  the  two  were  sound 
asleep,  Jack  repeated  the  prayer  that  had  trem- 
bled so  many  times  on  his  lips,  rose  as  silently  as 
a  shadow,  and  began  moving  across  the  lodge  on 
tip-toes  to  where  his  invaluable  rifle  leaned. 
Lightly  would  that  warrior  have  need  to  sleep  to 
be  aroused  by  such  faint  footfalls. 

The  boy  had  not  yet  reached  his  weapon,  when 
he  was  almost  transfixed  by  the  vivid  recollection 
of  the  attempt  he  made  to  get  away  when  on  the 
journey  to  the  village.  He  believed  his  liberty 


348  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

was  secured,  when  he  suddenly  awoke  to  the  fact 
that  Ogallah  and  his  warriors  were  trifling  with 
him. 

Could  it  be  the  chief  had  read  in  the  captive's 
face  the  evidence  of  his  intention  ? 

This  was  the  question  which  for  the  moment 
held  life  in  suspense,  while  Jack  Carleton  stood  in 
the  middle  of  the  dimly  lit  wigwam  and  gazed 
doubtingly  toward  the  figures  near  the  smolder- 
ing fire. 

"  Likely  enough  he  is  only  pretending  he's 
asleep,  and,  just  as  I  am  sure  the  way  is  clear,  he 
will  spring  to  his  feet  and  grab  me." 

It  was  a  startling  thought  indeed,  and  there 
were  a  few  moments  when  the  lad  was  actually 
unable  to  stir  ;  but  he  quickly  rallied  and  smiled 
at  his  own  fears. 

"  If  I  once  get  my  gun  in  hand,  he  won't  be 
able  to  stop  me " 

He  was  reaching  forward  to  grasp  it,  when  one 
of  the  embers  fell  apart,  and  a  yellow  twist  of 
flame  filled  the  apartment  with  a  glow  which  re- 
vealed everything.  Jack  stopped  with  a  faint 
gasp  and  turned  his  head,  sure  that  the  chief  was 
on  the  point  of  leaping  upon  him  ;  but  he  was  as 


OUT    IN    THE    WORLD.  349 

motionless  as  a  log,  and  the  hand  of  the  boy  was 
upraised  again  as  he  took  another  stealthy  step 
forward.  A  half  step  more,  and  his  fingers  closed 
around  the  barrel.  The  touch  of  the  cold  iron 
sent  a  thrill  through  him,  for  it  was  like  the  pal- 
pable hand  of  Hope  itself. 

The  powder  horn  lay  on  the  ground  beside  the 
weapon,  the  Indian  having  made  no  use  of  either 
since  they  came  into  his  possession.  The  string 
was  quickly  flung  over  the  shoulder  of  the  boy, 
who  then  began  moving  in  the  same  guarded 
fashion  toward  the  door,  throwing  furtive  glances 
over  his  shoulder  at  the  king  and  queen,  who  did 
not  dream  of  what  was  going  on  in  their  palace. 

Jack  Carleton  "  crossed  the  Kubicon  "  when  he 
lifted  the  rifle  and  powder  horn  from  the  ground. 
Had  he  been  checked  previous  to  that  he  would 
have  turned  back  to  his  couch,  and  made  the  pre- 
tense that  what  he  did  was  the  result  of  a  de- 
lirium. But  with  the  possession  of  his  weapon 
came  a  self-confidence  that  would  permit  no  ob- 
struction to  divert  him  from  his  purpose.  He 
would  not  have  fired  on  the  chief  or  his  squaw 
(except  to  save  his  own  life),  for  that  would  have 
been  unpardonable  cruelty,  but  he  would  have 


350  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

made  a  dash  into  the  outer  air,  where  he  was  sure 
of  eluding  his  pursuers,  so  long  as  the  night 
lasted. 

But  the  slumber  of  the  couple  was  genuine. 
They  did  not  stir  or  do  anything  except  to  breathe 
in  their  sonorous  fashion.  Jack  took  hold  of  the 
bison  skin  to  draw  it  aside,  when  he  found  the 
door  was  locked.  It  was  an  easy  matter,  however, 
to  unfasten  it,  and  a  single  step  placed  him  out- 
side the  wigwam. 

Instead  of  hurrying  away,  as  his  impatience 
prompted  him  to  do,  the  youth  stood  several  min- 
utes surveying  the  scene  around  him.  The  Sauk 
village  was  asleep,  and  the  scrutiny  which  he 
made  of  the  collection  of  wigwams  failed  to  show 
a  single  star-like  twinkle  of  light.  The  night  was 
clear,  and  a  gibbous  moon  was  high  in  the  sky. 
Patches  of  clouds  drifted  in  front  of  the  orb,  and 
fantastic  shadows  whisked  across  the  clearing  and 
over  the  wigwams  and  trees.  The  dwellings  of 
the  Indians  looked  unsightly  and  misshapen  in 
the  shifting  light,  and  Jack  felt  as  though  he 
were  gazing  upon  a  village  of  the  dead. 

Turning  to  the  southward,  he  faced  the  narrow, 
winding  river.  From  the  front  of  the  chieftain's 


OUT    IN    THE   WORLD.  351 

lodge,  he  caught  the  glimmer  of  its  surface  and 
the  murmur  of  its  flow,  as  it  swept  by  in  the 
gloom  on  its  way  to  the  distant  Gulf.  A  soft 
roaring  sound,  such  as  we  notice  when  a  sea-shell 
is  held  to  the  ear  crept  through  the  solitude  like 
the  voice  of  silence  itself. 

Jack  was  impressed  by  the  scene,  but  when  he 
saw  a  shadowy  figure  flit  between  two  of  the  wig- 
wams, and  was  certain  he  heard  a  movement  in 
the  lodge  behind  him,  he  hastily  concluded  it  was 
the  time  for  action  and  not  meditation.  With  a 
start  that  might  have  betrayed  him,  he  quickly 
left  his  position  and  hastened  away. 

It  was  natural  that  the  many  hours  devoted  by 
Jack  during  his  convalescence,  to  forming  his  plan 
of  procedure,  should  have  fixed  the  plan  he  meant 
to  follow.  Thus  it  was  that  the  few  minutes 
spent  in  front  of  the  chieftain's  lodge  were  not 
occupied  in  debating  the  proper  course  to  take, 
and,  when  he  once  made  a  start,  he  went  straight 
ahead  without  turning  to  the  right  or  left. 

The  reader  will  readily  see  how  great  were  the 
advantages  on  the  side  of  the  fugitive.  He  was 
certain  of  a  fair  start,  which  ought  to  have  made 
his  position  absolutely  safe,  for  if  the  American 


352  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

Indian  is  phenomenally  skillful  in  following  the 
trail  of  an  enemy  through  the  wilderness,  that 
enemy,  if  he  suspects  such  pursuit,  ought  to 
be  ahle  to  throw  him  irrecoverably  from  the 
scent. 

Furthermore,  it  is  scarcely  conceivable  that  the 
trail  of  Jack  Carleton  could  be  taken  at  the  door 
of  Ogallah's  wigwam  and  followed  as  the  warriors 
trailed  a  fugitive  through  the  woods ;  for  the 
ground  whereon  he  walked  had  been  tramped  hard 
by  multitudinous  feet,  and  the  faint  impressions 
of  the  boy's  shoes  could  not  be  individualized 
among  the  thousand  footprints.  It  was  far  differ- 
ent from  fleeing  from  a  camp  in  the  woods,  where 
his  trail  crossed  and  was  interfered  with  by  no 
.  other,  and  where  the  slightest  depression  or  over- 
turning of  the  leaves  was  like  the  impression  on 
the  dusty  highway. 

The  fugitive's  first  intention  was  to  take  to  the 
woods,  and  guiding  his  course  by  the  moon  and 
sun,  travel  with  all  the  speed  and  push  at  his 
command.  Fortunately  he  was  enabled  to  see 
that  such  a  course  was  almost  certain  to  bring 
disaster.  Instead  of  doing  that,  he  went  directly 
to  the  river  side,  where  he  had  seen  the  Indians 


OUT   IN  THE  WORLD.  353 

frolicking  in  the  water,  and  he  himself  had  so 
often  sighed  for  the  same  delicious  privilege. 

There  were  five  canoes  partly  drawn  up  the 
bank  and  waiting  the  will  of  their  owner.  They 
were  made  of  bark  with  curved  ends,  fantastically 
painted,  and  each  was  capable  of  carrying,  at 
least,  six  or  eight  able-bodied  warriors.  They 
were  so  light  that  the  lad  found  no  trouble  in 
shoving  the  first  clear  of  the  shore,  and  sending  it 
skimming  out  into  the  stream.  As  it  slackened 
its  pace,  it  turned  part  way  round,  like  a  be- 
wildered swan,  as  if  uncertain  which  way  to  go. 
Then  it  sailed  triangularly  down  current,  much 
after  the  manner  of  Ogallah's  dog  when  on  a  trot. 

It  was  not  more  than  fairly  under  way,  when 
the  second  glided  out  after  it,  then  the  third,  the 
fourth  and  finally  the  fifth  and  last.  This  con- 
tained Jack  Carleton  who  took  the  long  ashen 
paddle  in  hand  and  began  plying  it  with  consider- 
able skill.  He  was  paying  less  attention  to  his 
own  progress  than  to  the  manipulation  of  the 
other  canoes,  which  he  had  set  free  for  a  special 
purpose. 

He  kept  the  five  in  the  middle  of  the  current 
until  a  fourth  of  a  mile  was  passed.  Then  he 


354  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

gave  one  such  a  violent  push  that  it  ran  its  snout 
against  the  bank  and  stuck  fast.  Some  distance 
down  stream  he  repeated  the  manoeuvre  with  the 
second  boat  against  the  opposite  shore,  continu- 
ing the  curious  proceeding  until  he  was  alone  in 
the  single  canoe,  floating  down  stream. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

JOURNEYING   EASTWARD. 

TACK  CARLETON  reasoned  in  this  wise  : 
^  .  In  the  morning  Ogallah  would  notice  his 
absence  from  the  lodge  and  would  make  imme- 
diate search  for  him.  He  would  quickly  learn 
that  the  entire  navy  of  his  nation  had  vanished  as 
completely  as  has  our  own,  and  the  conclusion 
would  be  warranted  that  it  had  either  run  away 
with  the  pale  face  or  the  pale  face  had  run  away 
with  the  navy :  at  any  rate  they  had  gone  off  in 
company  and  the  hunt  would  begin. 

A  quarter  of  a  mile  down  stream,  the  first  in- 
stallment of  the  fleet  would  be  found  stranded  on 
the  southern  shore,  as  though  it  was  used  to  set 
the  fashion  followed  by  our  country  a  century 
later.  The  conclusion  would  be  formed  that  the 
audacious  fugitive  had  landed  at  that  point  and 
plunged  into  the  interior ;  but  a  brief  examination 
would  show  the  Sauks  their  mistake  and  they 
would  rush  on  along  the  banks  until  the  second 


356  CAMP-FIEE   AND   WIGWAM. 

craft  was  discovered,  when  the  same  disappoint- 
ment would  follow. 

This  would  continue  until  every  one  of  the  five 
canoes  had  been  found  and  examined.  Inasmuch 
as  the  fifth  contained  Jack  himself,  it  will  be  seen 
that  more  care  was  required  in  his  case  ;  but  the 
programme  had  been  laid  out  to  its  minutest  de- 
tails while  the  enemy  was  a  guest  in  the  lodge  of 
the  king. 

After  the  fourth  canoe  had  been  stuck  against 
the  bank,  the  number  lying  on  alternate  sides, 
Jack  removed  his  clothing  and  letting  himself 
over  the  stern,  plunged  into  the  cool,  refreshing 
current,  where  he  dove,  frolicked,  sported,  and  en- 
joyed himself  to  the  full — his  happiness  such  that 
he  could  hardly  refrain  from  shouting  for  very  joy. 
He  kept  this  up  as  long  as  prudent,  when  he 
clambered  into  the  boat  again,  donned  his  cloth- 
ing, floated  a  short  distance  further,  and  shot  the 
craft  into  land  with  a  force  that  held  it  fast. 

A  brief  calculation  will  show  that  the  boy  had 
gone  something  more  than  a  mile  from  the  Indian 
village,  and  he  had  secured  what  may  well  be 
termed  a  winning  lead  ;  but  much  still  remained 
to  be  done.  He  was  now  about  to  leave  the  ele- 


JOURNEYING   EASTWARD.  357 

ment  where  even  the  trained  bloodhound  would 
be  at  fault,  and  step  upon  the  land,  where  the 
keen  eye  of  the  Sauk  warrior  would  follow  his 
footprints  with  the  surety  of  fate  itself.  Hence  it 
depended  on  his  covering  up  the  tell-tale  trail, 
unless  chance,  against  which  no  one  can  guard, 
should  direct  his  pursuers  to  it. 

Both  shores  of  the  stream  were  covered  with 
forest  which  grew  to  the  edge  of  the  water.  In 
some  places  there  was  undergrowth  which  over- 
hung the  river,  but  it  was  not  very  plentiful. 
The  position  of  the  moon  in  the  sky  was  such 
that  most  of  the  time  the  middle  of  the  stream 
reflected  its  light,  while  the  shores  were  in  shadow. 
These  looked  indescribably  gloomy,  and  but  for 
bounding  spirits  which  set  the  whole  being  of  the 
lad  aglow,  he  would  have  been  oppressed  to  an 
unbearable  degree.  The  course  of  the  river  for 
the  first  mile  was  remarkably  straight,  but  it 
made  a  sweeping  bend  just  before  Jack  ran  his 
canoe  into  shore.  His  aim  now  was  to  quit  the 
water  without  leaving  any  tell-tale  traces  behind. 
If  he  stepped  ashore  and  walked  away  never  so 
carefully,  he  would  fail  to  do  what  was  absolutely 
necessary.  He  believed  he  accomplished  his  pur- 


358  CAMP-FIRE    AKD   WIGWAM. 

pose,  by  running  the  boat  under  some  overhanging 
undergrowth,  where  he  laboriously  pulled  it  up 
the  bank,  until  it  could  not  be  seen  by  any  one 
passing  up  or  down  stream,  and  could  be  found 
by  no  one  moving  along  the  shore  itself,  unless 
he  paused  and  made  search  at  the  exact  spot. 
The  probability  of  any  Indian  doing  such  a 
thing,  it  will  be  conceded,  was  as  unlikely  as  it 
could  be. 

But,  on  the  other  hand,  the  first  step  the  fugi- 
tive fcook  would  leave  an  impression  which  would 
tell  the  whole  story,  and  it  now  depended  on  the 
manner  in  which  he  overcame  that  special  danger. 
Carefully  sounding  the  water,  Jack  found  it  was 
quite  shallow  close  to  land.  He  therefore  waded 
a  full  hundred  yards  from  the  canoe  before  leaving 
the  stream,  and  then,  with  his  clothing  saturated 
to  his  knees,  he  stepped  ashore,  took  a  score  of 
long  careful  steps  straight  away,  and  his  flight,  it 
may  be  said,  was  fairly  begun. 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  have  done  so  much  after 
all,"  said  he,  when  he  had  reached  a  point  a 
hundred  yards  from  the  stream,  "  for  some  one  of 
the  Indians  may  strike  my  trail  before  sunrise  to- 
morrow morning  ;  but  I  have  done  all  I  can  at  the 


JOURNEYING   EASTWARD.  359 

start,  and  if  I  can  have  a  few  miles  the  lead,  it'll 
be  no  fun  for  them  to  overtake  me." 

There  was  no  reason  why  such  an  advantage 
should  not  be  secured,  for,  although  the  moon  was 
of  no  help  to  him  in  determining  his  course,  he 
had  studied  the  whole  thing  so  carefully  while  ly- 
ing in  the  lodge  of  the  chieftain  Ogallah,  that  he 
was  as  sure  of  the  direction  as  if  he  held  a 
mariner's  compass  in  his  hand. 

Jack,  it  will  be  borne  in  mind  was  in  the  south- 
ern portion  of  the  present  State  of  Missouri,  the 
frontier  settlement  of  Martinsville  lying  at  no 
great  distance  westward  from  Kentucky,  and  north 
of  the  boundary  line  of  Arkansas,  as  it  has  existed 
since  the  formation  of  that  Territory  and  State. 
The  Sauk  party  of  Indians  who  made  him  captive 
had  pursued  an  almost  westerly  direction,  taking 
him  well  toward  the  Ozark  region,  if  not  actually 
within  that  mountainous  section.  It  followed, 
therefore,  that  he  should  pursue  the  easterly 
course,  for  the  stream  along  which  he  had  been 
borne,  had  carried  him  almost  due  north,  and  it 
was  not  necessary  for  him  to  diverge  in  order  to 
leave  it  well  behind. 

The  fugitive  lost  no  time,  but  pushed  through 


360  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

the  wood  as  fast  as  lie  could.  It  was  hard  to 
restrain  his  desire  to  break  into  a  run,  but  he  did 
so,  for  nothing  could  have  been  gained  and  much 
was  likely  to  be  lost  by  such  a  course.  Despite 
the  bright  moon  overhead,  few  of  its  rays  found 
their  way  through  the  dense  vegetation  and 
foliage.  Though  he  encountered  little  under- 
growth, yet  he  was  compelled  to  use  his  hands  as 
well  as  his  eyes  in  order  to  escape  painful  acci- 
dents. 

The  hours  of  darkness  were  valuable  to  Jack, 
yet  he  longed  for  daylight.  He  wanted  to  be  able 
to  see  where  he  was  going,  and  to  use  what  little 
woodcraft  he  possessed.  So  long  as  he  was  obliged 
to  keep  one  hand  extended  in  front  in  order  to 
save  his  face  and  neck,  he  could  adopt  no  precau- 
tions to  hide  his  footprints  from  the  prying  eyes 
of  his  enemies.  He  knew  he  was  leaving  a  trail 
which  was  as  easy  for  his  enemies  to  follow,  as 
though  he  walked  in  the  yielding  sand.  Much  as 
he  regretted  the  fact,  it  could  not  be  helped  so 
long  as  the  darkness  lasted,  and  he  wasted  no 
efforts  in  the  attempt  to  do  so.  It  would  be  far 
otherwise  when  he  should  have  daylight  to  help 
him. 


JOURNEYING   EASTWARD.  361 

Fortunately  perhaps,  he  had  not  long  to  wait. 
He  had  not  gone  far  when  he  observed  the  increas- 
ing light  which  speedily  announced  the  rising  of 
the  sun  ;  but  he  was  shocked  to  find  that  despite 
his  care  and  previous  experience  in  tramping 
through  the  wilderness,  he  had  got  much  off  his 
course.  Instead  of  the  orb  appearing  directly  in 
front  of  him,  as  he  expected  it  to  do,  it  rose  on 
his  right  hand,  showing  that  instead  of  pursuing 
an  easterly  course  he  was  going  north — a  direction 
which  took  him  very  little  nearer  his  home  than 
if  he  traveled  directly  opposite. 

As  may  be  supposed,  Jack  had  no  sooner 
learned  his  mistake  than  he  faced  about  and 
corrected  it. 

"  IVe  got  my  bearings  now,"  he  muttered  confi- 
dently, "  and  I  know  too  much  about  this  busi- 
ness to  drift  off  again.  Hurrah  !  " 

He  could  not  deny  himself  the  luxury  of  one 
shout  and  the  toss  of  his  cap  in  the  air.  This 
completed,  he  strode  forward  with  more  dignified 
step,  and  settled  down  to  work,  after  the  manner 
of  a  sensible  youth  who  appreciates  the  task  before 
him.  He  calculated  that  he  was  two  or  three 
miles  from  the  Indian  village,  much  closer  than 
16 


362  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

was  comfortable,  and  he  could  not  stop  to  eat  or 
rest  until  it  should  be  increased.  He  felt  that 
this  day  was  to  be  the  decisive  one.  If  he  could 
keep  beyond  the  reach  of  his  pursuers  until  the 
setting  of  the  sun,  he  would  throw  them  off  his 
trail  so  effectively  that  they  could  never  recover  it. 

"  And  why  shouldn't  I  do  it  ?  "  he  asked,  confi- 
dently :  "  Deerfoot  taught  me  how  to  hide  my 
tracks,  and  I  never  can  have  a  better  chance  than 
now,  where  everything  is  in  my  favor/' 

He  alluded  to  the  number  of  streams,  the  rocky 
and  diversified  surface  and  the  general  rugged 
character  of  the  country  through  which  his  journey 
was  leading  him. 

In  such  a  region  there  must  be  numerous  oppor- 
tunities for  covering  his  trail  from  the  penetrating 
glance  of  those  who  had  spent  their  lives  in  study- 
ing the  ways  of  the  woods.  The  stealthy  tread 
of  the  shoe  or  moccasin  over  the  flinty  rock  left  no 
impression,  but  it  was  hardly  possible  to  find 
enough  of  such  surface  to  prove  of  value ;  but 
when  he  caught  the  gleam  of  water  through  the 
trees,  his  heart  gave  a  leap  of  pleasure. 

"TJiis  is  what  I  wanted,"  he  exclaimed,  coming 
to  a  halt  on  the  bank  of  a  rapidly  flowing  creek, 


JOURNEYING   EASTWARD.  363 

some  fifty  feet  wide :  "  here  is  something  that 
will  wipe  out  a  fellow's  trail." 

The  current  was  fairly  clear  and  rapid.  It  was 
evidently  deep,  and  it  seemed  to  the  lad  that  it 
was  the  compression  of  a  considerably  wider  stream 
into  a  space  that  added  velocity  to  its  flow.  Its 
general  course,  so  far  as  he  could  learn,  was  east- 
wardly,  and  was  therefore  favorable  to  him. 

There  was  but  the  one  way  of  utilizing  the 
creek,  and  that  was  by  floating  over  its  surface. 
Jack  could  have  strapped  his  gun  to  his  back  and 
swum  a  considerable  distance,  but  that  would  have 
been  a  useless  exertion  attended  by  many  discom- 
forts. His  purpose  was  to  build  a  raft  or  float 
which  would  allow  the  current  to  carry  him  for  a 
mile  or  so,  when  he  could  land  and  continue  his 
journey. 

Better  fortune  than  he  anticipated  awaited  him. 
While  moving  along  the  shore  in  search  of  logs 
and  decayed  wood  from  which  to  construct  his 
float,  he  was  astonished  to  run  plump  upon  an 
Indian  canoe,  which  was  drawn  up  the  bank  be- 
yond the  probability  of  discovery. 

"  Well,  now  that  is  lucky  ! "  exclaimed  the 
gratified  lad,  who  quickly  added  the  saving  clause, 


364  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

"that  is,  I  hope  it  is,  though  where  you  find 
canoes,  it  is  best  to  suspect  Indians." 

He  looked  for  them,  but  no  sign  greeted  eye  or 
ear.  He  supposed  the  boat  belonged  to  the  tribe 
which  he  had  left  the  night  before,  though  it 
was  somewhat  singular  that  it  should  have  been 
moored  such  a  distance  from  home.  Possibly  this 
was  a  much  used  ferry  where  something  of  the 
kind  was  found  convenient. 

Nothing  was  to  be  gained  by  speculating  about 
the  ownership  of  the  craft,  but  the  part  of  wisdom 
was  to  make  use  of  the  means  that  was  so  fortu- 
nately placed  within  his  reach.  Without  any  de- 
lay, therefore,  he  shoved  the  frail  structure  into 
the  water,  leaping  into  it  as  it  shot  from  shore. 
No  paddle  could  be  found  on  or  about  the  vessel, 
and  he  used  his  rifle  for  the  implement,  as  he  had 
done  more  than  once  before.  Holding  it  by  the 
barrel,  he  swung  the  stock  through  the  current 
and  found  it  served  his  purpose  well.  A  slight 
force  is  sufficient  to  propel  an  Indian  canoe 
through  or  over  the  water,  and  the  task  was  easy 
enough  for  Jack  Carleton. 

"  It  may  be  this  boat  belongs  to  some  other  In- 
dians who  do  not  live  very  far  off,  and  if  they 


JOURNEYING    EASTWARD.  365 

should  come  down  and  find  me  sailing  away  with 
it,  I  don't  know  what  would  follow." 

However,  the  opportunity  was  the  very  one  he 
was  anxious  to  secure,  and  he  was  too  wise  to 
allow  any  fancy  that  might  cross  his  mind  to 
frighten  him  from  turning  it  to  the  best  account. 
Guiding  the  canoe  to  the  middle  of  the  creek,  he 
faced  down  current,  and  used  his  improvised  pad- 
dle with  all  .the  skill  and  strength  at  his  command. 
The  stream,  as  I  have  said,  ran  rapidly,  so  that 
with  his  exertions  he  made  good  progress. 

He  was  struck  with  the  similarity  of  the  shores 
to  those  of  the  larger  stream  which  ran  by  the 
Indian  village.  The  wood  was  dense,  and  at  in- 
tervals was  so  exuberant  that  it  looked  difficult 
for  a  rabbit  to  penetrate.  Then  came  long  spaces 
where  the  forest  was  so  open  that  he  could  look 
far  into  its  depths.  The  course  of  the  creek  was 
so  winding  that  he  could  see  only  a  short  distance 
ahead,  and  several  times  his  own  momentum  car- 
ried him  close  into  land  before  he  could  accommo- 
date himself  to  the  abrupt  curve  around  which  he 
shot  with  no  inconsiderable  speed. 

There  remained  the  comforting  thought  that 
every  minute  thus  occupied  was  taking  him  fur- 


366  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

ther  from  his  captors,  who  were  without  the 
means  of  following  his  trail ;  but  at  the  very  mo- 
ment when  Jack  was  felicitating  himself  on  the 
fact,  he  was  startled  by  a  most  alarming  dis- 
covery. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

A   MISCALCULATION. 

youth  had  stopped  paddling  for  a  few 
minutes'  rest,  when  he  observed  that  he 
was  close  upon  a  broad  clearing  which  came  close 
to  the  water's  edge.  He  had  scarcely  time  to 
notice  that  much  when  he  saw  several  large  coni- 
cal objects,  and  before  he  knew  it,  he  was  floating 
in  front  of  an  Indian  village,  numbering  some 
twelve  or  fifteen  wigwams.  Squaws,  children,  and 
even  warriors  were  lolling  about  very  much  as  in 
the  Sauk  village,  from  which  he  had  fled  only  a 
short  time  before. 

It  fairly  took  away  the  breath  of  Jack.  In  all 
his  fancies  he  had  not  once  thought  of  anything 
like  this,  or  he  would  have  avoided  running  into 
what  promised  to  prove  a  fatal  trap. 

"  My  gracious  ! "  he  gasped,  "  this  is  a  little 
too  much  of  a  good  thing  ;  it'll  never  do  at  all." 

The  settlement  was  on  the  right  hand  bank  of 
the  stream,  which  just  there  had  a  northerly 


368  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

course.  It  was,  therefore,  on  the  shore  where  the 
fugitive  desired  to  land.  Dipping  his  improvised 
paddle,  he  drove  the  boat  ahead  with  all  the 
power  he  could  command,  and  drew  a  breath  of 
partial  relief,  when  another  sweeping  curve  shut 
him  from  sight. 

It  was  apparent  that  the  Indians  failed  to  grasp 
the  situation  in  its  entirety.  They  were  accus- 
tomed to  see  white  men  hunting  and  trapping  in 
that  region,  and  they  may  have  felt  no  wish  to 
molest  one  of  their  number,  though  tempted  so  to 
do  by  his  unprotected  situation.  At  any  rate, 
they  stared  at  the  canoe  without  offering  to  dis- 
turb its  occupant.  The  black-eyed  youngsters 
gaped  wonderingly,  and  Jack  saw  several  point  in 
his  direction,  while  they  doubtless  indulged  in 
observations  concerning  him. 

But  it  need  not  be  said  that  he  was  frightened 
almost  out  of  his  wits,  and  filled  with  self-disgust 
that  he  should  have  gone  blindly  into  a  peril 
against  which  a  child  ought  to  have  mounted 
guard.  The  moment  he  felfc  he  was  out  of  sight 
of  the  redmen,  who  showed  far  less  curiosity  than 
he  expected,  he  sprang  ashore  and  shoved  the  canoe 
back  into  the  current,  which  speedily  carried  it 


A    MISCALCULATION.  369 

out  of  sight.  Having  landed,  Jack  hastened 
among  the  trees  at  the  fastest  gait  possible.  He 
was  close  to  the  village,  although  beyond  sight. 
Glancing  over  his  shoulder  he  expected  every 
minute  to  see  some  of  the  dusky  warriors,  and  to 
hear  their  whoops  as  they  broke  in  pursuit. 

It  must  have  been  that  this  particular  Indian 
village  felt  little  if  any  interest  in  the  white  youth 
who  paddled  in  front  of  their  door,  for  not  one  of 
the  number  made  a  move  by  way  of  pursuit. 

When  Jack  had  pushed  through  the  wilderness 
for  a  couple  of  miles  he  formed  the  same  conclu- 
sion, and  dropped  to  a  deliberate  walk.  The  face 
of  the  country  was  rocky  and  broken,  and  he  was 
confident  that  in  many  places  he  had  left  no  trail 
at  all.  But,  with  that  conviction  came  two 
others :  he  not  only  was  tired  but  was  excessively 
hungry.  He  had  caught  sight  of  game  more  than 
once  while  on  the  march,  as  it  may  be  called,  but 
refrained  from  firing  through  fear  that  the  report 
of  his  gun  would  guide  others  who  were  hunting 
for  him.  At  the  same  time  he  had  twice  heard 
the  discharge  of  rifles  at  widely  separated  points. 
Probably  they  were  fired  by  Indians  on  the  hunt, 
or  possibly  some  of  the  trappers  of  that  section 


370  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

had  not  yet  started  on  their  long  journey  to  St. 
Louis.  At  any  rate  when  the  sun  had  passed  the 
meridian  and  the  afternoon  was  well  advanced,  he 
made  up  his  mind  that  he  would  take  the  first 
chance  to  secure  food,  no  matter  in  what  shape  it 
presented  itself. 

He  smiled  to  himself,  when  within  the  succeed- 
ing ten  minutes  he  caught  sight  of  a  young  deer 
among  the  trees  less  than  one  hundred  feet  in  ad- 
vance. It  bounded  off  affrighted  hy  the  figure  of 
the  youth,  who,  however,  was  so  nigh  that  he 
brought  it  to  the  ground  without  difficulty 

When  he  ran  forward  to  dress  it,  he  was  sur- 
prised to  find  it  had  fallen  within  a  rod  of  a  ravine 
fifty  feet  deep. 

This  ravine,  which  had  evidently  been  a  cafion 
or  ancient  bed  of  some  mountain  stream,  was 
twenty  yards  or  more  in  width,  the  rocky  walls 
being  covered  with  a  mass  of  luxuriant,  creeping 
vines,  through  which  the  gray  of  the  rocks  could 
be  seen  only  at  widely  separated  intervals.  The 
bottom  was  piled  up  with  the  luxuriant  vegetable 
growth  of  a  soil  surcharged  with  richness. 

Jack  Carleton  took  only  time  enough  to  comr 
prehend  these  points  when  he  set  to  work  kin- 


A   MISCALCULATION.  371 

dling  a  fire  against  the  trunk  of  a  tree  which  grew 
close  to  the  ravine.  "  When  that  was  fairly  going, 
he  cut  the  choicest  slices  from  his  game,  and  it 
was  speedily  broiled  over  the  blaze.  There  was 
no  water,  so  far  as  he  knew,  closer  than  the  creek, 
but  he  did  not  specially  miss  it.  Seasoned  by  his 
keen  hunger,  the  venison  was  the  very  acme  of 
deliciousness,  and  he  ate  until  he  craved  no  more. 

Then  as  he  sat  down  on  the  leaves  with  his 
back  to  the  tree  opposite  the  blaze,  lie  probably 
felt  as  comfortable  as  one  in  his  situation  could 
feel.  He  had  pushed  his  strength  almost  to  a 
dangerous  verge,  when  rest  became  a  luxury,  and 
as  he  leaned  against  the  shaggy  bark  behind  him, 
it  seemed  as  though  he  could  sit  thus  for  many 
hours  without  wishing  to  stir  a  limb. 

"  I  suppose,"  he  said  to  himself  in  a  drowsy 
tone,  "  that  I  ought  to  keep  on  the  tramp  until 
night,  when  I  can  crawl  in  behind  some  log  and 
sleep  till  morning.  It  may  be  that  one  or  two  of 
the  warriors  from  that  last  village  are  on  my  trail, 
but  it  don't  look  like  it,  and  a  fellow  can't  tramp 
forever  without  rest.  Fll  stop  here  for  an  hour  or 
two,  and  then  go  ahead  until  dark.  There's  one 
thing  certain, — I've  thrown  Ogallah  and  his  friends 


372  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

so  far  off  my  track  that  they'll  never  be  able  to 
find  it  again." 

If  any  conclusion  could  be  warranted,  it  would 
seem  that  this  was  of  that  nature,  and  yet  by  an 
extraordinary  chain  of  circumstances  the  very 
danger  which  was  supposed  to  have  ended,  was 
the  one  which  came  upon  the  fugitive. 

As  he  had  anticipated,  the  method  of  his  flight 
was  discovered  very  early  the  succeeding  morning, 
and  many  of  the  warriors  and  large  boys  started 
in  pursuit.  The  hunt  was  pressed  with  a  prompt- 
ness and  skill  scarcely  conceivable.  It  was  inevi- 
table that  they  should  be  puzzled  by  the  singular 
proceeding  with  the  canoes,  and  the  pursuers  be- 
came scattered,  each  intent  on  following  out  his 
own  theory,  as  is  the  case  with  a  party  of  detec- 
tives in  these  later  days.  The  last  boat  was  not 
found,  but  the  identical  youth  who  had  fared  so 
ill  at  the  hands  of  Jack,  came  upon  his  trail 
where  it  left  the  river.  His  black  eyes  glowed 
with  anticipated  revenge,  which  is  one  of  the  most 
blissful  emotions  that  can  stir  the  heart  of  the 
American  Indian. 

The  young  Sauk  might  have  brought  a  half 
dozen  older  warriors  around  him  by  uttering  a 


A   MISCALCULATION.  373 

simple  signal,  but  nothing  could  have  induced 
him  to  do  so.  He  had  his  gun,  knife,  and  toma- 
hawk,— all  the  weapons  he  could  carry  and  all 
that  were  possibly  needed.  He  had  learned  long 
before  to  trail  his  people  through  the  labyrinthine 
forest,  and  in  a  year  more  he  expected  to  go  upon 
his  first  war  trail.  He  hated  with  an  inextin- 
guishable hatred  the  pale  face  who  had  over- 
thrown him  in  the  wrestling  bout  and  then  had 
struck  him  a  blow  in  the  face,  which,  figuratively 
speaking,  compelled  him  to  carry  his  nose  for  sev- 
eral days  in  a  sling.  Ogallah  had  protected  the 
sick  pale  face  from  molestation,  but  now  the  chief 
was  the  most  eager  for  his  death. 

The  fugitive  evidently  believed  he  was  safe 
against  all  pursuit,  and  it  would  therefore  be  the 
easier  to  surprise  him.  What  greater  feat  could 
the  young  Sauk  perform  than  to  follow  and  se- 
cretly slay  the  detested  lad  ?  What  a  triumph 
it  would  be  to  return  to  the  village  with  his  scalp 
dangling  at  his  girdle  ! 

Holding  his  peace  (though  it  was  hard  to  keep 
down  the  shout  of  joy  that  rose  to  his  lips),  he 
bounded  away  like  a  bloodhound  in  pursuit. 

Despite  the  precautions  taken  by  Jack  Carleton, 


374  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

the  pursuer  found  little  trouble  in  keeping  to  his 
trail,  until  it  abruptly  terminated  on  the  bank  of 
the  creek,  where  advantage  had  been  taken  of  the 
canoe.  There  he  paused  for  a  time  at  a  loss  what 
to  do. 

Of  course  he  knew  of  the  Indian  village  at  no 
great  distance  down  stream  and  on  the  other  side. 
Familiar  as  he  was  with  the  creek,  he  kept  on 
until  he  reached  a  place  where  it  broadened  and 
was  so  shallow  that  he  waded  over  without 
trouble.  The  red  men  whom  he  visited  were 
friendly  with  the  offshoot  of  the  Sauk  tribe,  so 
that  no  risk  was  run  in  going  among  them. 
When  he  did  so,  as  a  matter  of  course,  he  gained 
the  very  information  he  was  seeking  ;  the  canoe 
with  the  fugitive  in  it  went  by  the  village  early  in 
the  morning.  The  pursuer  declined  the  offer  of 
help  and  wenfc  on  alone.  He  was  hardly  outside 
the  village  when  he  struck  the  trail  again,  and, 
knowing  he  was  at  no  great  distance  from  the 
youth,  he  followed  with  a  vigor  and  persistency 
that  would  not  be  denied. 

But  during  most  of  the  time  he  was  thus  em- 
ployed, Jack  Caiieton  was  similarly  engaged,  and, 
despite  the  energy  of  the  young  Sank,  the  hours 


A   MISCALCULATION.  375 

slipped  by  without  bringing  him  a  sight  of  the 
pale  face,  whose  scalp  he  meant  to  bring  back  sus- 
pended to  his  girdle.  The  fugitive  had  about  re- 
covered his  usual  health,  and  he  improved  the 
time  while  it  was  his.  Had  he  pushed  forward 
until  nightfall  before  halting  for  food  or  rest,  he 
never  would  have  been  overtaken. 

But  the  signs  showed  the  dusky  youth  that  he 
was  close  upon  the  unsuspicious  pale  face,  and  he 
strode  along  with  the  care  and  skill  of  a  veteran 
warrior.  Finally  his  trained  senses  detected  the 
smell  of  burning  wood,  and  a  moment  later  he 
caught  sight  of  the  camp-fire  of  Jack  Carleton. 
The  Indian  stopped,  and  after  some  reconnoiter- 
ing,  concluded  he  could  gain  a  better  view  from 
the  other  side  the  camp.  With  incredible  pains 
he  moved  around  to  that  side  and  was  gratified  by 
a  success  which  glowed  in  his  swarthy  counte- 
nance and  through  his  well-knit  frame. 

O 

He  saw  the  pale  face  sitting  on  the  ground, 
with  his  back  against  a  tree,  his  mouth  open,  and 
his  eyes  closed.  His  gun  rested  on  the  ground  be- 
side him,  and  the  wearied  fugitive  was  asleep,  and 
as  helpless  as  an  infant. 

The  Sauk  had  only  to  raise  his  gun,  take  a  quick 


376  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

aim,  and  shoot  him  dead,  before  he  awoke  or 
learned  his  danger.  He  could  leap  upon  and 
finish  him  with  his  knife,  but  that  would  involve 
some  risk  to  himself.  He  decided  to  drive  his 
tomahawk  into  the  skull  of  his  victim,  and  to 
scalp  him  immediately  after. 

As  the  first  step  toward  doing  so,  he  leaned  his 
rifle  against  the  nearest  tree,  so  as  to  leave  his 
arms  free,  and  then,  without  any  more  ado, 
grasped  the  handle  of  his  tomahawk  and  poised 
himself  with  the  purpose  of  hurling  it  with  resist- 
less force  and  unerring  aim.  He  was  not  twenty 
feet  distant  from  Jack  ;  but  while  in  the  very  act 
of  raising  the  missile  above  his  head,  his  arm  was 
struck  a  side  blow  so  violent  as  almost  to  break 
the  bone.  The  tomahawk  flew  from  his  grasp  to 
the  earth,  and  in  a  twinkling  some  one  caught 
him  around  the  waist,  lifted  him  clear  of  the 
ground,  ran  rapidly  the  few  paces  necessary,  and 
flung  him  over  the  rocks  into  the  ravine  ! 

The  Sauk  struggled  desperately  to  save  himself, 
but  he  could  not  check,  though  he  retarded  his 
descent.  He  landed  with  a  force  that  knocked 
the  breath  from  him,  but  the  abundance  of  vines 
and  vegetable  growth  saved  his  life.  After  a  time 


A   MISCALCULATION.  377 

he  slowly  gathered  himself  together,  and  seeing 
nothing  of  the  enemy  who  had  handled  him  so 
ruthlessly,  he  slowly  climbed  to  his  feet  and  be- 
gan picking  his  way  out  of  the  ravine. 

He  was  compelled  to  walk  a  long  distance  be- 
fore reaching  a  place  where  he  was  able  to  clamber 
to  the  level  ground  above.  When  at  last  he  man- 
aged to  do  so,  he  sat  down  on  a  fallen  tree  to  rest 
and  indulge  in  a  retrospective  survey. 

His  rifle  and  tomahawk  were  irrecoverably  gone, 
and  nothing  would  have  induced  him  to  go  back 
to  look  for  them.  If  his  right  arm  was  not  broken, 
it  was  so  injured  and  lamed  that  a  long  time 
must  elapse  before  he  could  use  it,  and  altogether 
his  enterprise  could  only  be  regarded  as  a  disas- 
trous failure. 

"  It  was  an  Indian  that  struck  the  tomahawk 
from  my  grasp,"  reflected  the  victimized  Sauk ; 
"  he  was  a  terrible  warrior  ! " 

The  youth  was  right  in  each  respect,  for  the 
name  of  the  Indian  who  made  such  short  work 
with  him  was  Deerfoot  the  Shawanoe. 


CHAPTER    XXXIII. 

CONCLUSION. 

TACK   CARLETON  was  in  the  middle  of  a 

pleasant  dream  of  home  and  friends,  when  a 

light  touch  on   his  shoulder  caused  him  to  open 

his  eyes   and   look   up    with   a   quick,    inquiring 

glance. 

Ilelloa  !  Deerfootj  is  that  you  ?  "  he  exclaimed, 
springing  to  his  feet  and  grasping  the  hand  of  his 
old  friend,  on  whose  handsome  features  lingered 
the  shadowy  smile  which  told  of  the  pleasure  he 
felt  in  finding  his  beloved  friend  after  such  a  long 
search. 

"  Deerfoot  is  glad  to  take  the  hand  of  his  bro- 
ther and  press,  it ;  he  has  hunted  a  good  while  for 
him  and  his  heart  was  sad  that  he  did  not  find 
him." 

"  How,  in  the  name  of  conscience,  did  you  ever 
find  me  at  all  ?  "  demanded  Jack,  who  slapped 
him  on  his  back,  pinched  his  arm,  and  treated 


CONCLUSION.  379 

him  with  a  familiarity  which  few  dared  show 
toward  him. 

"  I've  had  a  very  curious  time,  I  can  tell  you, 
old  fellow— helloa  !  where  did  that  gun  come 
from,  and  that  tomahawk  ?  "  exclaimed  the  won- 
dering youth,  catching  sight  of  the  weapons. 

"  'Twill  be  well  if  my  brother  does  not  stay 
here/'  replied  the  young  Shawanoe,  who,  while  he 
felt  no  particular  fear  of  the  Sauk  whom  he  had 
flung  into  the  ravine,  saw  the  possibility  of  his 
procuring  friends  and  coming  back  to  revenge 
himself.  Prudence  suggested  that  the  two  should 
secure  themselves  against  such  peril.  Deerfoot, 
therefore,  picked  up  the  tomahawk,  shoved  it  into 
the  girdle  around  his  waist,  grasped  the  rifle  in 
his  right  hand,  and  strode  forward  with  his  free, 
easy,  swinging  gait.  As  there  was  no  call  for 
special  caution,  he  told  the  story  of  his  encounter 
with  the  young  Sauk  who  had  raised  his  toma- 
hawk to  brain  his  sleeping  friend.  Dcerfoot's  first 
intention  was  to  drive  an  arrow  through  his  body, 
but  ho  chose  the  method  already  described  of 
frustrating  his  purpose. 

To  make  his  story  complete,  it  was  necessary 
for  the  young  Shawanoe  to  begin  with  his  visit  to 


380  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

Jack's  mother,  and  to  describe  the  mental  agony 
of  the  good  parent  over  the  unaccountable  absence 
of  her  boy.  Then  he  told  of  his  meeting  with  the 
Sauk  warrior,  Hay-uta,  who  made  such  a  deter- 
mined effort  to  take  his  life.  From  him  he 
learned  that  a  white  youth  was  a  captive  in  the 
village,  and  he  concluded,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
that  there  were  to  be  found  both  Jack  and  Otto, 
though  no  reference  was  made  to  the  latter.  The 
sagacious  Shawanoe,  however,  discovered  an  im- 
portant fact  or  two  which  I  did  not  refer  to  in 
telling  the  incident.  The  first  was  that  Hay-uta 
was  one  of  the  five  Sauks  who  separated  from  the 
other  five  directly  after  the  capture  of  the  boys. 
With  his  company  was  Otto  Kelstaub,  the  Dutch 
youth,  while  Jack  Carleton  was  with  the  other. 
Hay-uta  and  his  friends  were  on  their  way  to  the 
village,  and  were  almost  within  sight  of  it,  when 
Hay-uta  felt  such  dissatisfaction  over  their  failure 
to  bring  back  any  scalps  or  plunder,  that  he  drew 
off  and  declared  he  would  not  go  home  until  he 
secured  some  prize  of  that  nature.  His  encounter 
with  Deerfoot  followed.  When  he  left  the  latter 
he  went  straight  to  his  village.  Deerfoot  could 
have  trailed  him  without  trouble,  but,  inasmuch 


CONCLUSION.  381 

as  the  Sauk  had  departed  in  that  manner,  and  the 
Shawanoe  knew  where  his  village  lay,  he  pur- 
posely avoided  his  trail,  and  followed  a  course 
that  diverged  so  far  to  the  right  that  he  first 
reached  the  village  passed  by  Jack  in  his  canoe. 
His  arrival,  as  sometimes  happens  in  this  life,  was 
in  the  very  nick  of  time.  From  the  red  men,  who 
showed  a  friendly  disposition  toward  him,  he 
learned  that  not  only  had  a  pale  face  youth  passed 
down  the  stream  in  a  canoe,  but  a  young  warrior 
aflame  with  passion  was  close  behind  him. 

The  wise  Deerfoot  was  quick  to  grasp  the  situ- 
ation, and  he  set  out  hot-footed  after  the  afore- 
said flaming  young  warrior,  and  followed  him  with 
such  celerity  that  he  came  in  sight  of  him  long 
before  the  Sauk  arrived  at  the  camp-fire.  Little 
did  the  furious  young  Sauk  dream,  while  panting 
with  anticipated  revenge,  and  aglow  with  exulta- 
tion, that  one  of  his  own  race  was  close  upon  his 
heels,  ready  to  launch  his  deadly  arrow  at  any 
moment,  and  only  waiting  to  decide  in  what  man- 
ner the  Sauk  should  be  "  eliminated"  from  the 
whole  business. 

Seated  around  the  camp  fire  late  that  night,  the 
two  friends  talked  over  the  past.  Jack  gave  full 


382  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

particulars  of  what  befell  him  since  his  capture 
by  the  Indians,  up  to  the  hour  when  Deerfoot 
joined  him.  The  young  Shawanoe  listened  with 
great  interest  to  the  story,  for  it  will  be  admitted 
that  in  many  respects  it  was  an  extraordinary 
narrative.  He  told  Jack  that  the  people  with 
whom  he  had  passed  more  than  'a  week  were 
Sauks,  under  the  leadership  of  the  chieftain  whose 
lodge  had  sheltered  the  prisoner  during  his  cap- 
tivity. The  Sauks  were  a  brave,  warlike  people, 
and  this  offshoot,  which  had  located  in  that  por- 
tion of  Upper  Louisiana,  was  among  the  most 
daring  and  vindictive  of  the  tribe.  Their  leniency 
toward  Jack  was  remarkable,  and  could  only  be 
accounted  for  on  the  supposition  that  Ogallah 
took  a  fancy  to  the  youth  and  meant  to  adopt 
him  into  his  family.  It  was  not  at  all  unlikely 
that  Jack's  suspicion  that  they  were  "  training  " 
him  to  figure  in  a  scene  -of  torture  was  correct. 
His  escape,  therefore,  could  not  have  been  more 
opportune. 

Let  not  the  reader  accuse  the  two  of  indiffer- 
ence, because  so  little  has  been  recorded  in  their 
conversation,  concerning  Otto  Relstaub,  the  com- 
panion of  both  in  more  than  one  scene  of  peril,  and 


CONCLUSION.  383 

held  by  them  in  strongest  friendship.  They  had 
talked  more  of  him  than  of  any  one  else,  though 
Jack's  heart  was  oppressed  by  a  great  sorrow 
when  he  thought  of  his  mother  and  her  grief  over 
his  continued  absence.  Jack  had  asked  Deerfoot 
over  and  over  again  as  to  his  belief  concerning 
their  absent  friend,  but  the  Shawanoe,  for  a  long 
time,  evaded  a  direct  answer. 

"I  can  tell  you  what  /think,"  said  Jack  with 
a  compression  of  his  lips  and  a  shake  of  his  head  : 
"  Otto  is  dead." 

"  How  did  my  brother  meet  his  death  ?  "  calmly 
asked  Deerfoot. 

"  Those  five  warriors  started  by  another  route 
to  the  village  and  they  meant  to  take  him  there 
as  they  took  me.  After  Hay-uta,  as  I  believe  you 
call  your  friend,  left,  they  made  up  their  minds 
that  it  wasn't  of  any  use  to  bother  with  poor  Otto, 
and  so  they  tomahawked  or  shot  him." 

Having  given  his  theory,  Jack  Carle  ton  turned 
toward  the  young  Shawanoe  for  his  comment,  but 
he  sat  looking  intently  in  the  fire  and  remained 
silent.  Resolved  that  he  should  say  something 
on  the  painful  subject,  Jack  touched  his  arm. 

"  Deerfoot,  do  you  think  I  am  right  ?  " 


384  CAMP-FIRE    AND    WIGWAM. 

The  Indian  looked  in  his  face  and  still  mute, 
nodded  his  head  to  signify  lie  agreed  with  him. 

tl  Poor  Otto/'  added  Jack  with  a  sigh,  "  I  won- 
der how  his  father  and  mother  will  feel  when 
they  learn  that  their  boy  will  never  come 
back." 

"  They  will  mourn  because  the  horse  was  not 
found,"  was  the  characteristic  remark  of  Deerfoot. 

"You  are  right/'  exclaimed  Jack,  with  a  flash 
of  the  eye  ;  "  if  old  Jacob  Relstaub  could  get  his 
horse,  I  believe  he  and  his  wife  would  go  on  and 
smoke  their  pipes  with  as  much  piggish  enjoy- 
ment as  before,  caring  nothing  for  their  only  child. 
How  different  my  mother  !  "  he  added  in  a  softer 
voice  :  "  she  would  give  her  life  to  save  mine,  as  I 
would  give  mine  to  keep  trouble  from  her.  I  say, 
Deerfoot,  Otto  and  I  were  a  couple  of  fools  to 
start  out  to  hunt  a  horse  that  had  been  lost  so 
many  days  before  and  of  which  we  hadn't  the 
slightest  trace — don't  you  think  so  ?  " 

The  young  Shawanoe  once  more  turned  and 
looked  in  his  face  with  a  mournful  expression,  and 
nodded  his  head  with  more  emphasis  than  before. 

"  I  knew  you  would  agree  with  me,"  assented 
Jack,  "  though,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  had  very  little 


CONCLUSION.  385 

hope  myself  that  we  would  ever  get  sight  of  the 
animal,  but  old  Jacob  Kelstaub  really  drove  Otto 
out  of  his  house  and  compelled  him  to  go  off  on 
the  wild  goose  hunt.  I  couldn't  let  him  go  alone 
and,  with  mother's  consent,  I  kept  him  company." 

"  My  brother  pleased  the  Great  Spirit,  and 
Deerfoot  will  pray  that  he  shall  ever  act  so  that 
the  Great  Spirit  will  smile  on  him." 

"I  shall  most  certainly  try  to  do  so/'  said  Jack 
with  a  resolute  shake  of  his  head  :  "  He  has  shown 
me  a  hundred-fold  more  mercies  than  I  deserve 
and  I  mean  to  prove  that  I  have  some  gratitude 
in  me." 

The  conversation  went  on  in  this  fashion  until 
the  evening  was  far  along,  when  Jack  lay  down 
near  the  fire,  intending  to  sleep  for  the  rest  of 
the  night.  Deerfoot  assured  him  there  was  no 
danger  and  as  was  his  custom,  the  young  Shaw- 
anoe  brought  forth  his  Bible  to  spend  an  hour 
or  so  in  studying  its  pages.  Before  he  had  fixed 
upon  the  portion,  Jack  Carleton  came  to  the  sit- 
ting position  and,  with  some  excitement  in  his 
manner,  said  : 

"Deerfoot,  I  forgot  to  tell  you  something:  I 
don't  know  how  it  came  to  slip  my  mind*" 


386  CAMP-FIRE    AND   WIGWAM. 

The  Indian  looked  in  his  face  and  quietly 
awaited  his  explanation. 

"One  of  those  Sauks  that  belonged  to  Otto's 
party  came  into  the  lodge  of  Ogallah  when  I  was 
there,  and  I  think  he  tried  to  tell  me  something 
about  Otto,  but  I  couldn't  understand  his  words 
or  gestures." 

"  Let  my  brother  show  Deerfoot  what  the  move- 
ments were/'  said  the  other,  manifesting  much  in- 
terest. 

They  were  so  impressed  on  Jack  Carleton  that, 
springing  to  his  feet,  he  placed  himself  in  front  of 
Deerfoot  and  reproduced  most  of  the  gestures,  the 
words,  of  course,  being  gone.  The  Shawanoe  fixed 
his  eyes  on  his  friend,  and  scrutinized  every  mo- 
tion with  eager  eyes.  Suddenly  he  sprang  up 
with  more  feeling  than  he  had  shown  in  a  long 
time.  And  well  might  he  do  so,  for  he  had  trans- 
lated the  sign  language,  as  given  to  him  by  Jack 
Carleton,  and  it  told  a  far  different  story  than  the 
one  which  both  had  adopted  some  time  before. 

"  Otto  is- alive,"  was  the  startling  declaration  of 
Deerfoot. 

"  He  is  ! "  exclaimed  the  amazed  Jack,  "  I 
should  like  to  know  who  told  you  that." 


CONCLUSION.  387 

"That  was  what  the  Sauk  warrior  said  to 
my  brother  ;  that  was  what  he  tried  to  tell 
him,  but  my  brother  did  not  understand  his 
words." 

"  Are  you  really  sure  Otto  is  alive  ?" 

"  Deerfoot  cannot  be  sure  of  that  which  his 
eyes  do  not  behold  ;  but  such  were  the  words  of 
Hay-uta  the  Sauk  ;  they  did  not  kill  Otto." 

"  Then  where  is  he  ?  " 

"  He  is  a  long  ways  off ;  we  will  hasten  to  the 
settlement  that  the  heart  of  the  mother  of  my 
brother  shall  be  lightened.  Then  Deerfoot  will 
lead  his  brother  on  the  hunt  for  him  who  is  so 
many  miles  away  toward  the  setting  sun." 

Within  the  following  three  days,  Jack  Carleton 
arrived  home  and  was  clasped  in  the  arms  of  his 
mother,  who  rejoiced  over  his  return  as  though  it 
had  been  a  very  rising  from  the  dead.  Deerfoot 
had  conducted  him  swiftly  through  the  forest  and 
not  a  hair  of  the  head  of  either  was  harmed. 

The  limits  of  this  work  having  been  reached,  it 
will  be  impossible  in  these  pages  to  give  an  ac- 
count of  what  befell  Otto  Relstaub,  after  his  cap- 
ture by  the  little  band  of  Sauk  Indians  ;  but  all 


388  CAMP-FIRE   AND   WIGWAM. 

that,  as  well  as  the  eventful  hunt  for  him  by 
Deerfoot  the  Shawanoe  and  young  Jack  Carle- 
ton,  shall  be  fully  told  in  "Footprints  in  the 
Forest,"  which  will  form  Number  Three  of  the  Log 
Cabin  Series. 


THE   END. 


Famous  itastlemon  Boohs. 


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Street  Merchant.      Illustrated.       i6mo i   25 

Phil  the  Fiddler;  or,  The  Young  Street  Musician. 

Illustrated.       i6mo I   25 

4 


PORTER  &   COATES'S   POPULAR  JUVENILES.  5 

Slow  and  Sure ;  or,  From  the  Sidewalk  to  the  Shop. 

Illustrated.      i6mo $l  25 

TATTERED  TOM  SERIES.     (SECOND  SERIES.) 
In  box  containing  the   following.      4   vols.      Cloth, 

extra,  black  and  gold 5  oo 

(Sold  separately.) 

Julius;  or,  The  Street  Boy  Out  West.     Illust'd."  i6mo.     I  25 

The  Young  Outlaw;  or,  Adrift  in  the  World.     Il- 
lustrated.    i6mo i  25 

Sam's  Chance  and  How  He  Improved  it.     Il- 
lustrated.     i6mo I  25 

The  Telegraph  Boy.     Illustrated.      i6mo i  25 

LUCK  AND  PLUCK  SERIES.    (FIRST  SERIES.) 
By  Horatio  Alger,  Jr.,  in  box  containing  the  following. 

4  vols.     i6mo.     Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold 5  oo 

(Sold  separately.) 

Luck  and  Pluck;    or,  John  Oakley's  Inheritance. 

Illustrated.       i6mo i   25 

Sink  or  Swim ;  or,  Harry  Raymond's  Resolve.     Il- 
lustrated.      i6mo I  25 

Strong  and  Steady;  or,  Paddle  Your  Own  Canoe. 

Illustrated.     i6mo I   25 

Strive  and  Succeed ;  or,  The  Progress  of  Walter 

Conrad.     Illustrated.     i6mo I   25 

LUCK    AND    PLUCK     SERIES.       (SECOND 
SERIES.)     In  box  containing  the  following.     4  vols. 

i6mo.     Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold 5  oo 

(Sold  separately.) 

Try  and  Trust;  or,  The  Story  of  a  Bound  Boy.     Il- 
lustrated.     i6mo i  25 

Bound  to  Rise ;  or,  How  Harry  Walton  Rose  in  the 

World.     Illustrated.       i6mo I   25 

Risen  from  the  Ranks;  or,  Harry  Walton's  Success. 

Illustrated.       i6mo I  25 

Herbert  Carter's  Legacy;  or,  The  Inventor's  Son. 

Illustrated.     i6mo I  25 


6  PORTER   &    COATES'S    POPULAR   JUVENILES. 

BRAVE  AND  BOLD  SERIES.  By  Horatio 
Alger,  Jr.,  in  box  containing  the  following.  4  vols. 

i6mo.     Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold $5  oo 

(Sold  separately.) 

Brave  and  Bold ;  or,  The  Story  of  a  Factory  Boy. 

Illustrated.      i6mo I   25 

Jack's  Ward;   or,    The  Boy  Guardian.     Illustrated. 

i6mo i  25 

Shifting  for  Himself;  or,  Gilbert  Greyson's  Fortunes. 

Illustrated.      i6mo I   25 

Wait  and  Hope ;  or,  Ben  Bradford's  Motto.  .  Illus- 
trated. i6mo I  25 

CAMPAIGN  SERIES.  By  Horatio  Alger,  Jr.,  in 
box  containing  the  following.  3  vols.  l6mo.  Cloth, 
extra,  black  and  gold 3  75 

(Sold  separately.) 

Prank's  Campaign;   or,  the  Farm  and  the  Camp. 

Illustrated.      i6mo I   25 

Paul  Prescott's  Charge.     Illustrated.     i6mo.     .    .       I  25 
Charlie  Codman's  Cruise.     Illustrated.      i6mo .    .       I  25 

PACIFIC  SERIES.    By  Horatio  Alger,  Jr.    4  vols. 

i6mo.     Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold 5  oo 

(Sold  separately.) 

The  Young  Adventurer;  .or,  Tom's  Trip  Across 

the  Plains.     Illustrated.     i6mo I   25 

The  Young  Miner;  or,  Tom  Nelson  in  California. 

Illustrated.      i6mo I   25 

The  Young  Explorer;  or,  Among  the  Sierras.  Il- 
lustrated i6mo I  25 

Ben's  Nugget ;  or,  A  Boy's  Search  for  Fortune.     A 

Story  of  the  Pacific  Coast.     Illustrated.     i6mo.  .    .    .       I   25 


The  Young  Circus  Rider;  or,  The  Mystery  of 
Robert  Rudd.  Being  the  ist  volume  of  the  "  Atlantic 
Series."  Illustrated.  i6mo.  Cloth,  extra,  black 
and  gold I  25 


PORTER  &  COATES'S  POPULAR  JUVENILES.         7 

Do  and  Dare ;  or,  A  Brave  Boy's  Fight  for  Fortune. 
Being  the  2d  volume  of  the  "Atlantic  Series."  Illus- 
trated. i6mo.  Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold  ....  $i  25 

Hector's  Inheritance  ;  or,  Boys  of  Smith  Institute. 
Being  the  3d  volume  of  the  "Atlantic  Series."  Illus- 
trated. i6mo.  Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold  ....  I  25 


By  C.  A,  Stephens. 


Rare  books  for  boys — bright,  breezy,  wholesome  and  instruc- 
tive— full  of  adventure  and  incident,  and  information  upon 
natural  history — they  blend  instruction  with  amusement — contain 
much  useful  and  valuable  information  upon  the  habits  of  animals, 
and  plenty  of  adventure,  fun  and  jollity. 

CAMPING  OUT  SERIES.  By  C.  A.  Stephens. 
In  box  containing  the  following.  6  vols.  i6mo. 

Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold $75° 

(Sold  separately.) 

Camping  Out.      As  recorded  by  "  Kit."     With  eight 

full-page  illustrations.     i6mo I   25 

Left  on  Labrador;  or,  The  Cruise  of  the  Schooner 
Yacht  " Curlew "  As  recorded  by  "Wash."  With 
eight  full-page  illustrations.  i6mo I  25 

OS  to  the  Geysers ;  or,  The  Young  Yachters  in 
Iceland.  As  recorded  by  "  Wade."  With  eight  full- 
page  illustrations.  i6mo I  25 

Lynx  Hunting.  From  Notes  by  the  Author  of 
"Camping  Out."  With  eight  full-page  illustrations. 
i6mo I  25 

Fox  Hunting.     As  recorded  by  "Raed."    With  eight 

full-page  illustrations.      i6mo I   25 

On  the  Amazon  ;  or,  the  Cruise  of  the  "  Rambler." 
As  recorded  by  "Wash."  With  eight  full-page  illus- 
trations. i6mo I  25 


PORTER  &  COAXES' S  POPULAR  JUVENILES. 

By  ].  I.  H>oujbri6ge. 


These  stories  will  rank  among  the  best  of  Mr.  Trowbridge's 
books  for  the  young,  and  he  has  written  some  of  the  best  of  our 
juvenile  literature. 

JACK  HAZARD  SERIES.  By  J.  T.  Trowbridge. 
In  box  containing  the  following.  6  vols.  i6mo. 

Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold $7   50 

(Sold  separately.) 

Jack  Hazard  and  his  Fortunes.      With  twenty 

illustrations.     l6mo I   25 

A  Chance  for  Himself ;    or,  Jack  Hazard  and  his 

Treasure.     With  nineteen  illustrations.     i6mo.  ...       I   25 

Doing  his  Best.     With  twenty  illustrations.     i6mo.        I  25 

Fast  Friends.     With  seventeen  illustrations.      i6mo.      I  25 

The  Young  Surveyor;    or,  Jack  on  the  Prairies. 

With  twenty-one  illustrations.       i6mo I   25 

Lawrence's  Adventures  Among  the  Ice  Cut- 
ters, Glass  Makers,  Coal  Miners,  Iron  Men  and  Ship 
Builders.  With  twenty-four  illustrations.  i6mo.  .  .  I  25 


By  £6war&  8.  Ellis. 


A  New  Series  of  Books  for  Boys,  equal  in  interest  to  the  "  Cas- 
tlemon"  and  "Alger"  books.  His  power  of  description  of 
Indian  life  and  character  is  equal  to  the  best  of  Cooper. 

BOY  PIONEER  SERIES.     By  Edward  S.  Ellis. 

In  box  containing  the  following.     3  vols.    Illustrated. 

Cloth,  extra,  black  and  gold $3  75 

(Sold  separately.) 
Ned  in  the  Block  House;  or,  Life  on  the  Frontier. 

Being  the  1st  volume  of  the  "Boy  Pioneer  Series." 

Illustrated.     i6mo I   25 

Ned  in  the  Woods.     Being  the  2d  volume  of  the 

"  Boy  Pioneer  Series."     Illustrated.     l6mo I   25 

Ned  on  the  River.     Being  the  3d  volume  of  the 

"  Boy  Pioneer  Series."     Illustrated.     161110 I  25 


GENERAL  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA— BERKELEY 

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